China and US pull some trade war punches to fight another day

Trump and Xi had reasons to dial down tensions but analysts see fragile detente

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping seal a fresh trade war truce in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30. © AP

KEN MORIYASU and WATARU SUZUKI

October 31, 2025 15:46 JST

WASHINGTON/GYEONGJU, South Korea -- The summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended with a rewinding of some trade war measures and threats, pulling the world's two largest economies out of a game of geopolitical chicken.