Trump, Xi meet in effort to resolve trade tensions sparked by US tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump met face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in an attempt to resolve the ongoing trade disputes between the two sides.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has levied major tariffs on Chinese imports – a move that prompted Beijing to tighten its control over exports of rare earth elements. Both leaders signaled interest in reducing tensions to avoid further shocks to the global economy. 

Trump and Xi spoke briefly to the press before heading into a closed-door session for less than two hours with senior aides.