"We are seeing an attempt to de-escalate the trade war. We have been witnessing it since President Trump took office at the end of January. Both America and China have taken steps that have not contributed to the functioning of free trade in a fair manner. Both Washington and Beijing have done things that were intended to hinder the economy of the other side. However, I am optimistic that the situation will be calmed down, although the trade war will not end," Dennis Wilder, who was in charge of China on the White House National Security Council from 2004 to 2005, told Pravda.

Trump is destroying geography. From Azerbaijan there is Aberbaidzhan and from Armenia there is Albania

"On a scale of one to ten, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12," Trump said after meeting with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Tuesday. The meeting lasted about an hour and 45 minutes.

Something has been accomplished.

This is a fairly typical way of expressing oneself from the American president. Everything Trump does is usually amazing, grandiose and unique in his eyes. But it looks like this time Washington and Beijing have really managed to reach an agreement.

Wilder said before the meeting in South Korea that China would likely agree to buy large quantities of U.S. soybeans, help combat the smuggling of the synthetic drug fentanyl into the United States and delay draconian new restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals. In return, Trump will not impose new tariffs on Chinese goods starting Nov. 1 and will relax rules governing U.S. companies' trade with several Chinese companies.

And the expert's predictions have come true. Overall, the average tariff on Chinese imports should be reduced from 57 to 47 percent.

"Trump said the US has reached a one-year deal with China that ensures Beijing will not impose restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals. These are materials crucial for making computer chips that are needed for everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence systems and defense technology. The deal eliminates the threat of another 100 percent Chinese tariff," ABC reported.

The US president explained that the rare earths agreement is in place now, but will be renegotiated every year. “But I think it will last a long time,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “He’s a great leader, a great leader of a great, great country—China—and we, what can I say? We’ve made, I think, great decisions,” Trump said of Xi Jinping. The White House chief confirmed that he is planning to visit China in April next year. Xi Jinping is expected to come to the United States after that.

"China and the United States should be partners and friends. This is what history has taught us and what reality requires. We have the confidence and ability to handle all kinds of risks and challenges. China and the United States should avoid a vicious circle of mutual retaliation," Xi Jinping said in connection with the meeting with Trump.

Security policy

But the world's two largest economies do not only have economic disputes. Relations between China and the United States fundamentally affect global security. Trump confirmed that he did not discuss Taiwan with Xi Jinping. The communist regime claims the island country with a democratic government. Taiwan fears that China could convince Trump to reduce Washington's support for Taipei. In return, the United States could receive a major trade deal. China would prefer the United States to publicly declare that it rejects Taiwan's independence.

It is not yet likely that America would agree to this. But China has another attraction for Trump besides the trade agreement - influence over Russia. And unlike Taiwan, Trump talked about Ukraine with Xi Jinping. Although the American president avoided discussing Beijing's large purchases of Russian oil.

"We've talked about Ukraine for a long time and we're going to work together to see if we can get something done. There's not much more we can do," Trump said.

Nuclear weapons

But besides the lofty words about cooperation with China and the great debate with Xi Jinping, the American president also did something that almost overshadowed the entire meeting. And it's hard to imagine that this was a coincidence. Rather, it was a message from a position of strength to Xi Jinping.

Just hours before the meeting, Trump said he had ordered an immediate resumption of nuclear weapons testing to bring the US into line with China and Russia. And while it is an extremely serious security issue, the way the populist billionaire announced it was probably no surprise to anyone. Trump announced the decision via his social network Truth Social.

"The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Russia is second and China is a distant third, but within five years it will be the same. Due to the testing programs of other countries, I have directed the Department of War to begin testing our nuclear weapons on an equal footing. This process will begin immediately," Trump wrote.

It is not yet entirely clear whether the US will actually start testing nuclear weapons now. The last time it did so was in 1992. And Russia and China last tested nuclear weapons in the 1990s."Trump's political turn comes at a turbulent time in global geopolitics, when the growing rivalry between the US and China increasingly resembles the Cold War era. Meanwhile, Russia's war in Ukraine raises the risk of a wider confrontation between Moscow and the West. Washington is closely watching how China and Russia continue to develop and test advanced weapons capable of carrying nuclear warheads," CNN recalled.