ABC News Daily Who wins when Trump meets China’s Xi Jinping?
Oct 27, 2025
Laura Tingle, ABC Global Affairs Editor, dives into the complexities of US-China relations as Trump visits Asia. She reveals the theatrics of Trump’s trip, highlighting his erratic foreign policy. Tingle discusses China’s leverage with rare earths, explaining how it influences negotiations. She emphasizes that Xi Jinping holds the upper hand, suggesting Trump's focus on trade may overshadow geopolitical strategies, especially regarding Taiwan. Tingle also notes ASEAN's delicate balancing act amidst superpower tensions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Tariffs And Symbolic Deals
- Donald Trump's Asia tour focused on tariffs and showy agreements that mainly aim to minimise damage to regional economies.
- Laura Tingle argues many deals are symbolic and don't resolve deeper strategic or economic vulnerabilities.
China's Rare Earth Leverage
- China holds strategic leverage through dominance in rare earth elements and processing capacity.
- Tingle says this gives China a strong bargaining position as talks with the US progress.
Act To Diversify Supply Chains
- Diversify rare earth supply chains and sign new partnerships to reduce dependence on China.
- Laura Tingle notes Southeast Asian and Australian deals will take time to scale but are strategic moves.