Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet: Beijing’s complex pressure tactics to force democratic nations to open their markets

On October 30, 2025, at Kimhae Air Base near the South Korean city of Busan, the first meeting since 2019 between Donald Trump and the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, took place. The leaders agreed on a series of decisions that led to a partial reduction in the tension of the tariff confrontation.

The United States announced a reduction in tariffs against China from 57% to 47%, while China agreed to resume imports of American soybeans (which had decreased by more than 50% in 2025) and to postpone for a year restrictions on the sale of five rare earth materials—holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium.

Despite achieving limited diplomatic success, as evidenced by the planned visit of Donald Trump to China in April 2026 and a reciprocal trip by Xi Jinping to the United States, key contradictions in the relations between the two countries remain unresolved.