Rare Earths Threaten Rare Trump-Xi Summit
The U.S.-China trade war has just escalated—again.
A zoomed-in photo of the heads of Xi Jinping and Donald Trump as they walk next to each other against a backdrop of red and yellow flowers. Trump's mouth is wide open as he speaks, and Xi is smiling. October 10, 2025, 3:32 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )
Trump’s Second Term
Ongoing reports and analysis
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to unleash new tariffs on China and cast doubt over a potential meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month in South Korea, further escalating a now monthslong trade spat between the two powers.
Trump’s threats came after China sharply expanded its export controls for rare earths, the powerful materials tha