Trump Will Reach An Agreement With Xi Jinping Amid Trade Tariff Tensions?

US President Donald Trump/PHOTO via Instagram @whitehouse

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump will test his prowess in making deals in the region that have been hit hard by his tough trade policy during his visit to Asia next week, amid doubts surrounding his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump, who will leave Washington on Friday, October 24, is scheduled to travel five days to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, the first to the region and his longest overseas trip since taking office in January.

The Republican leader hopes to gather trade, business and ceasefire deals before turning to the toughest challenge, a face-to-face meeting with Xi on Thursday next week in South Korea.

The trip comes amid Trump's efforts to maintain the achievement of major foreign policy from his second term of office, the fragile ceasefire he has also achieved in the Israeli-Gaza conflict.

Meanwhile, Russia's war in Ukraine is raging and the trade war with China has yet to show signs of easing.

Washington and Beijing have raised their respective export rates and threatened to stop imports of critical minerals and technologies as a whole, which makes markets nervous.

The trip was officially announced by the White House on Thursday and details remain unclear, including a meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

The two sides did not expect a breakthrough that would restore existing trade provisions before Trump's second term inauguration in January, according to someone familiar with the conversation. On the other hand, talks between the two sides to prepare the meeting focused on managing dissent and simple improvements.

The interim agreement could include limited rate relief, current rate extension, or China's commitment to buying US and Boeing (BA.N) soybeans, opening new tabs for aircraft. Beijing broke a similar promise in a 2020 deal with Trump.

Washington could let more high-end computer chips flow to Beijing, which in turn could relax controls over rare earth magnets that have angered Trump.

Or, there was absolutely no outcome of the conversation.

On Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump-Xi's talks would be a "short meeting," implying nothing formal. Trump later told reporters the two would hold "long enough meetings," allowing them to "resolve many of our outstanding questions, doubts and assets together."