&w=3840&q=100)
Trump-Xi meet likely in Shanghai or on the sidelines of Apec summit in South Korea: Report
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea, set for October 30 to November 1, offers a key opportunity for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump to meet, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing sources.
Trump might visit China beforehand or meet Xi on the sidelines of the Apec event in Gyeongju, where Xi plans to attend, though Trump's participation is unconfirmed, the Hong Kong based outlet reported.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
This month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met face-to-face, a step toward a potential leaders' summit.
Last month, Xi invited Trump and his wife to China, an invitation Trump reciprocated. Rubio noted a 'strong desire on both sides' for a presidents' meeting.
US-China relations have been rocky since Trump's January return to the White House, as the US leader issued threats of imposing 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods.
Both sides have since worked on stabilising ties, reaching a preliminary trade deal easing China's rare-earth export restrictions and US technology trade barriers.
Analysts suggest a pre-Apec meeting in China, possibly in Shanghai, is likely to differentiate from Trump's 2017 Beijing visit.
Diao Daming of Renmin University was quoted by SCMP as saying: 'Under favourable conditions and an appropriate atmosphere, any form of interaction between the two leaders will aid in the stabilisation and development of US-China relations.'
Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund noted that China sees a summit as stabilising.
'They maintain that a leaders' meeting could create greater stability in the relationship,' she said, adding it could allow Xi to push for eased technology restrictions and the US reaffirmation against Taiwan independence.
Beijing views Taiwan as its territory, to be reunited if necessary by force. The US, while not recognising Taiwan's independence, opposes forceful takeover and is obligated to arm Taiwan.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Sun Chenghao of Tsinghua University said a summit could break deadlocks on issues like fentanyl and tariffs: 'If certain issues can be clarified directly through a summit between the two leaders, I believe we could see relatively swift breakthroughs in specific areas of US-China relations.'
Chen Qi of Tsinghua added: 'Both sides are indeed working to create a conducive atmosphere for a meeting.'
Cooperation on trade and export controls could foster positive interactions.
Observers note that Trump's greater eagerness gives Beijing leverage.
'It's up to China. Trump would be on a plane to Beijing tomorrow if he could,' said Jeremy Chan of Eurasia Group.
'China is very protocol driven and wants all agreements lined up well in advance while Trump would be happy to hash it all out over a Big Mac.'
However, Taiwan or hawkish US actions could derail plans. 'The summit will be well telegraphed in advance,' Chan said. 'But all it would take would be one slip up along the way to derail the whole thing.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
A road map for the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative
At the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Washington earlier this month, Australia, India, Japan and the US announced a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative (QCMI) — a signal of shared intent, but one still in search of substance. China has asserted its dominance in critical minerals — first through export controls on gallium and germanium, and more recently by curbing rare earth shipments. The US responded with executive orders to secure supply chains. Allies are moving to re-shore and diversify. The logic is clear: From electric vehicles (EVs) to jet engines and semiconductors, critical minerals will shape both economic competitiveness and strategic autonomy in the 21st century. Despite growing convergence, Quad members differ on which minerals are 'critical' to them. India lists 30 minerals, such as copper, cadmium and potash for agriculture and energy needs. The US list of 50 minerals emphasises aluminium, barite and graphite for the defence and tech industries. Australia focuses on 31 minerals, including lithium, rare earth elements (REEs) and zirconium. Japan's list of 35 minerals emphasises gallium, dysprosium and yttrium. Quad has 20 minerals in common — including cobalt, graphite, lithium and REEs — low-hanging fruit for alignment. Yet, 36 minerals are unique to just one member, opening opportunities for swaps and co-investment. Quad supply chains remain highly vulnerable, especially graphite, copper, REEs and lithium. For example, China dominates REE refining, accounting for more than 90% of global capacity. The US lacks heavy REE separation. India, despite significant reserves, produces just 1% of global output. Even Australia's only major non-Chinese producer, Lynas, depends on China for refining. Japan, targeted by China's 2010 export ban, still sources more than half of its REEs from China. This is illustrative of the larger vulnerabilities of the Quad supply chain. India is 100% import dependent for its lithium, cobalt and nickel needs. The US lacks refining capacity, while Japan compensates with export-grade refining expertise. Australia holds the upstream edge but relies on external processing. India faces dual challenges: import dependence and limited domestic processing. However, growing demand from EVs and solar energy creates incentives for integration. The government has introduced sweeping reforms, from a National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to duty exemptions on critical minerals and scrap metal imports. With the right partnerships, India can emerge as a hub for minerals processing and manufacturing. India's critical minerals sector, especially downstream, is not yet globally competitive. But a nascent market is not a novel challenge. India built its IT services hub through telecoms investments, tax incentives and talent development. Japan spurred semiconductor growth via co-ordination and export credit, while Australia built lithium dominance through exploration incentives and export infrastructure. Even China, the global EV leader, invested ₹12 trillion ($230 billion) to build its ecosystem in battery R&D and manufacturing. Critical minerals policy is fragmented across nations and industries. Without a co-ordinating forum, exploration, ESG standards and procurements remain unaligned. The QMCI could serve as a government-industry platform to align policies, share analysis, harmonise standards and co-ordinate projects. Pooling expertise and negotiating power can dismantle barriers to diversified supply chains as shown by the US-led Minerals Security Partnership and G7 Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance. The QMCI should go beyond convening towards joint stockpiling, financing and standards harmonisation efforts to improve offtake. Access to patient capital is a major hurdle for critical minerals projects, which require high investments and long timelines. BloombergNEF estimates ₹179 trillion ($2.1 trillion) will be needed by 2050 to meet global demand for transition metals — about ₹5.9 trillion ($70 billion) annually. A supply-demand mismatch will threaten net-zero targets and clean energy scalability. To address this, the QMCI should establish a joint Critical Minerals Investment Platform to pool concessional finance, like the US-Qatar-backed TechMet sovereign fund, worth ₹24.3 billion ($285 million), or Australia's ₹222 billion ($2.6 billion) Critical Minerals Facility. These efforts underscore how strategically deploying public capital through joint vehicles can derisk frontier mineral ecosystems. Technological fragmentation and R&D underinvestment are slowing minerals sector growth. Of the ₹4.2 trillion ($49.7 billion) invested in global public R&D in 2023, only a small fraction went to critical minerals. Mining talent pipelines also lag demand. While the US and Australia face shortages, India's 110 mining engineering colleges produce an exponentially higher number of graduates annually, suggesting strong complementarity. Without co-ordinated R&D and talent investment, the Quad risks missing productivity gains needed for value-added mineral activities. In the coming decade, countries setting standards, financing infrastructure and training workforces for critical minerals will shape the next industrial era. The Quad can lead this transformation — or be compelled to follow others, at its cost. Kaira Rakheja is energy analyst, IEEFA South Asia, and Akshat Singh is an independent policy consultant and previously was an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The views expressed are personal
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
WATCH: Supposed Indian-origin man shouts ‘bomb the flight' and ‘death to Trump' mid-flight on EasyJet plane
A seemingly middle-aged man was arrested on Sunday morning after causing panic aboard an EasyJet flight from London Luton to Glasgow, repeatedly shouting threats including 'I'm going to bomb the plane!' and 'Death to America! Death to Trump!' as passengers tackled him mid-air. The flight, designated EZY609, was met by police upon landing at Glasgow Airport around 8:20 am local time, where the man was taken into custody. According to New York Post citing one witness, the man carried documents suggesting he was an Indian national with refugee status. According to New York Post, the suspect allegedly shouted that he wanted to 'send a message' to US President Donald Trump, who was in Scotland at the time, visiting his Turnberry golf course. The incident occurred roughly an hour after takeoff from Luton. The man also kept shouting 'Allahu Akbar' while raising his hands aggressively. Footage shared online shows the man shouting the threats, as a passenger wrestles him to the floor. Following this, he seemingly gives up and stops shouting. 'DEATH to Trump' and 'ALLAHU AKBAR' — man causes panic on flight Says he's going to 'BOMB the plane' SLAMMED to ground by passenger — RT (@RT_com) July 27, 2025 The plane, already close to its destination, was placed under emergency landing protocol as air traffic control cleared a safe path for descent. Officers from Police Scotland boarded the aircraft upon arrival and detained the man. A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed, according to The Jerusalem Post: 'We received a report of a man causing a disturbance on a flight arriving in Glasgow around 8:20 am on Sunday, 27 July 2025. A 41-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. Enquiries are continuing.' Authorities added that counterterrorism officers are assessing the footage and conducting a full investigation. Police believe the man acted alone and there is no indication of a wider threat. In a statement, EasyJet said according to The Jerusalem Post said: 'Flight EZY609 from Luton to Glasgow this morning was met by police on arrival in Glasgow, where they boarded the aircraft and removed a passenger due to their behaviour onboard.' They added, 'EasyJet's crew are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. The safety and well-being of our customers and crew is always EasyJet's highest priority.' (With inputs from BBC, The Jerusalem Post, New York Post)
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US, China officials to hold trade talks in Stockholm: What to expect?
Senior officials from the United States and China will meet in Stockholm today to discuss trade and economic issues, in what both sides describe as a step toward easing tensions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will be meeting for the third time this year, nearly four months after President Donald Trump proposed sweeping tariffs, including an import tax of up to 145% on Chinese goods. The meeting is also expected to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. The planned meeting in the Swedish capital is part of broader efforts by both countries to stabilise a relationship that has been strained by trade disputes, technology competition, and geopolitical rivalry. While officials have kept the agenda under wraps, it is expected, as per AP, that the discussions will cover: This could be the first real opportunity for the two governments to address structural reform issues including market access in China for US companies, said Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, as per AP. The US imposed a 20% tariff on fentanyl-related products earlier this year. China responded with a 10% tariff on US goods. In July, China placed two fentanyl precursor chemicals under enhanced control. Gabriel Wildau, managing director at the consultancy Teneo, said major relief is unlikely. 'It's possible that Trump would cancel the 20% tariff that he has explicitly linked with fentanyl… but I would expect the final tariff level on China to be at least as high as the 15–20% rate contained in the recent deals with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam.' A key concern for Washington is China's industrial overcapacity. 'Right now, many companies, especially in manufacturing, feel quite deeply that China's manufacturing capacity is so strong, and the Chinese people are incredibly diligent,' Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday, as per Bloomberg News. 'Factories run 24 hours a day.' The US is expected to pressure China on reducing oil purchases from Russia and Iran. The Stockholm talks will be 'geared towards building a trade agreement based around Chinese purchase commitments and pledges of investment in the US in exchange for partial relief from US tariffs and export controls,' Wildau said, as per AP. (With inputs from AP)
