U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at their Oct. 30 summit. They reached a deal to lower U.S. tariffs by 10% and ease China’s rare-earth export restrictions. (Source: whitehouse.gov)

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met to ease trade disputes on Oct. 30, marking the first formal meeting between the two leaders since the U.S. raised taxes on Chinese imports earlier this year.

The two reached multiple economic agreements, including a one-year pause on China’s export restrictions for rare earth minerals, reductions in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and a commitment by China to stop sending chemicals used to make fentanyl in the U.S.

China leads in exports of rare earth elements, which are essential to modern electronics and defense technologies. Economics teacher Sam Lepler highlighted how Americans will benefit economically from loosened controls on rare earth exports.

“Free trade tends to get the most stuff at the lowest price,” Lepler said. “If rare earths are part of every chip, then every chip is gonna be less expensive with more of a free market trade between the U.S. and China. If there are lower tariffs, then that’s less tax on imported goods that you would buy.”

With the decrease of tariffs from 57% to 47% and China’s pause on rare earth restrictions, manufacturers will face lower costs for materials critical to our everyday technology like iPhones and laptops, thus improving their prices and increasing their availability for those in the Bay Area.

Additionally, with an over 800% increase in fentanyl-caused California deaths over recent years, the decision to halt the export of chemicals used to produce the drug marks an important step toward addressing the public health crisis.

Debater Manan Gupta (11) believes that these deals mark an important step in reducing economic frictions between the two nations.

“Geopolitics is very turbulent at the moment,” Manan said. “There are several methods to resolve these crises, but specifically the agreements like the fentanyl shipping that’s happening between the two were resolved, which is very good. Also, agreements on tariffs where China conceded some stuff and Trump conceded some stuff were very constructive.”

While the meeting saw economic progress, it also left many political tensions unresolved. Manan argues that the meeting felt more like showmanship than substantive diplomacy.

“Trump says that ‘everybody loves me,’” Manan said. “The issue is Xi Jinping does not love him. Although the facade is that it was peaceful, tensions are just beginning to escalate. There was no concession of the South China Sea or the East China Sea. It was more stuff like tariffs, and all that sort of panic has already blown over in the Chinese cabinet.”

Civil Discourse Club President Timothy Deng (12) echoes concerns about existing conflicts, noting that despite the publicity surrounding the meeting, it hardly influenced the long-term relationship between the two countries.

“It seems more like a symbolic occasion than one that actually delivers any practical outcomes,” Timothy said. “The fundamental relationship between the U.S. and China still hasn’t shifted. We’re still contending as rivals on the global stage. Both of us are trying to increase our independence from each other, so the rift between the U.S. and China is likely only going to widen.”