The White House Announces Trump and Xi to Meet on October 30

Despite the media focus on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, another intense confrontation is unfolding without casualties but with potentially deeper global consequences: the trade and technology battle between the United States and China. Both superpowers are locked in a standoff, unwilling to back down. If Donald Trump imposes tariffs on China, Xi Jinping retaliates with tariffs on American imports; if the White House bans the sale of chips to Chinese companies, Zhongnanhai restricts American tech firms' access to rare earth elements and halts soybean purchases from the US.

In an effort to end this senseless spiral between the world's leading economies and military powers, the White House announced on Thursday that Trump and Xi will finally meet face-to-face in South Korea on October 30. This meeting will compensate for the previously cancelled—or postponed, depending on who you ask—meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"On Thursday morning, local time, Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with Xi of the People's Republic of China before departing for Washington," stated White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a press briefing.

Since Trump returned to the presidency last January, he has not met Xi in person, although they have had at least three phone conversations. The Chinese President, always seemingly open to negotiation, has been one of the few not to succumb to Washington's trade pressure, remaining steadfast even when Trump imposed tariffs exceeding 100%.

While Leavitt did not specify the topics to be discussed by the two leaders, it is clear that the trade war will dominate the agenda. The Ukraine conflict will also be on the table, with China playing a significant secondary role as a buyer of Russian hydrocarbons and a supplier of technology to Moscow, although it reiterates that it "has never provided lethal weapons to either side." Beijing has announced it will cease purchasing oil by sea following the US sanctions on the invading country's fuels.