Where Trump and Xi will meet has been announced: on the eve of a new stage

US President Donald Trump confirmed that he will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in the coming weeks. During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, he stated that "we have good relations with Xi, and we will see each other in South Korea in a few weeks." Trump also added that the US must maintain high competitiveness to achieve success with Beijing.

What is the agenda? Trade and economic agreements, industrial chains, aviation and technological restrictions are expected to be the main directions of the meeting. As a reminder, in the spring, China stated that it would not submit to US pressure, and Xi Jinping told the EU that Washington needed to reconsider its customs policy. Following this, Trump announced the suspension of Boeing aircraft sales to China.

In the process, it was reported that Washington is discussing customs policy with about 70 countries and urging them to increase pressure on Beijing. Beijing, calling for "dialogue and negotiations, not threats," partially abolished the 125% tariff on a number of goods. The United States also announced the termination of some concessions on cheap goods imported from China.

After the latest negotiations at the end of July, the American side agreed to ease some restrictions, but the main problem - mutual tariffs and a full-format "reconciliation plan" - remains closed. In this sense, the meeting in South Korea will give a start to a new stage, determine a roadmap for reaching an agreement, or at least reduce the list of disputed issues.

Conclusion: there are indications that the parties are inclined to compromise, but strategic competition persists. Therefore, it is better to expect a gradual approach, temporary easing, and technical agreements from the dialogue in Seoul, rather than a "big deal." The main question is: will there be another window to keep the competition in a controlled position?