Trump and China’s Xi Are Meeting in South Korea to Try to Roll Back Months of Trade Tensions

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on May 14, 2020 shows recent portraits of China’s President Xi Jinping (L) and US President Donald Trump.. US President Donald Trump said on May 14, 2020, he is no mood to speak with China’s Xi Jinping, warning darkly he might cut off ties with the rival superpower over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. “I have a very good relationship, but I just — right now I don’t want to speak to him,” Trump told Fox Business. (Photo by Dan Kitwood and Nicholas Kamm / various sources / AFP) (Photo by DAN KITWOODNICHOLAS KAMM/POOL/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are meeting face-to-face today in South Korea. Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have soared since Trump returned to office for a second term, and hiked import tariffs. China has retaliated by limiting exports of rare earth minerals, and shunning U.S. soybeans. The markets have been nervous but ahead of the meeting, officials from both countries signaled that there could be a detente. But the countries remain on a potential collision course as they compete to dominate manufacturing, develop AI technologies, and shape global affairs.