US and Chinese officials kicked off a new round of talks aimed at defusing a standoff between the world’s two largest economies before an upcoming leaders’ summit.

Economic officials from both countries are working to ensure a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping after the U.S. threatened new tariffs on Chinese goods in retaliation for China's expanded rare-earth export restrictions.

President Donald Trump prepares to meet China's Xi Jinping after securing trade deals across Asia that he claims bring trillions of dollars back to the U.S.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the ministry, made the announcement at a regular news conference in Beijing. The two meetings — the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus and the 15th China-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting — will be held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Southeast Asian country.

President Trump told reporters as he flew into Japan that he expects to have a trade agreement with China finalized by the end of his tour of Asia.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer from Friday, as the world's two largest economies try to ease an unexpected flare-up in tension ahead of a key leaders' summit.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have signed an upgraded free trade deal at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia. The pact is expected to focus on the digital, green economy and other new sectors.