Trump and Xi meet for third time in a year, Europe watches closely

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in the US Wednesday for a three-day summit with President Donald Trump, their third meeting in under a year, with European officials closely monitoring any decisions affecting their economic interests. The agenda spans trade, artificial intelligence, and rare earths, following an October 2025 trade truce and a May meeting in Beijing. The EU, facing a €1 billion daily trade deficit with China, has its own October deadline for concrete negotiation results. Chinese exports to the US have surged 34.4% annually, creating a $29.2 billion surplus. The summit may yield tariff reductions on $30 billion in goods and an AI "hotline" between Washington and Beijing, potentially leaving Europe sidelined on critical issues like rare earth access and AI governance.