Overview
- Both governments confirmed the leaders will hold talks in South Korea on Thursday at the APEC summit, with the trade dispute set to dominate.
- After preparatory talks in Malaysia, U.S. Finance Secretary Scott Bessent said China is prepared to postpone new rare‑earth export controls by a year.
- Trump signaled he could reduce some U.S. tariffs if Beijing enforces tighter controls on fentanyl precursor chemicals and cooperates with U.S. law enforcement.
- Officials say a TikTok arrangement is essentially agreed and awaits leader sign‑off, with the current proposal shifting control of the U.S. business to an American‑led consortium.
- The U.S. and Japan signed a pact to bolster critical‑minerals supply chains as analysts warn any U.S.–China deal may amount to a short truce given unresolved strategic frictions.