Xi and Trump Hold APEC Meeting, Announce a Preliminary Framework on Trade and Law Enforcement

On 30 October 2025 at the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump held a face-to-face meeting and reported agreement on a preliminary “framework” addressing several bilateral flashpoints: calibrated tariff adjustments, cooperative measures to curb fentanyl and precursor trafficking, and limited coordination on high-risk technology trade controls.

Both sides framed the pact as pragmatic — Beijing stressing cooperation that respects China’s sovereignty and core interests, Washington arguing it will reduce bilateral tensions and stabilize global supply chains. The talks followed a month of reciprocal restrictions and heightened rhetoric; analysts say the framework could defuse immediate economic frictions while leaving deeper strategic disagreements unresolved.