A high-ranking United States official confirmed on Sunday that the current rare earth materials agreement between America and China remains valid, with discussions underway regarding a possible extension.
The confirmation comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, set to take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15.
“It’s still in effect. It doesn’t expire yet,” the official stated during a briefing with reporters. The official added that while discussions continue, it remains unclear whether the agreement will receive an extension. “I’m confident we’ll announce any potential extension at the appropriate time.”
The upcoming two-day summit, beginning Thursday, is expected to cover several contentious topics including the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, trade relations, Taiwan, and other areas of tension between the two nations.
The leaders previously met in October in South Korea, where they reached an agreement to halt an escalating trade dispute. That conflict had resulted in the United States implementing substantial tariffs on Chinese products while Beijing had threatened to limit global access to rare earth materials.
