International News 25 September 2026
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US and China Extend Bilateral Trade Truce to January as Xi Arrives for Washington Summit
The United States and China have agreed to extend their 11-month bilateral trade truce through January 10, 2027, averting a potential tariff escalation previously scheduled for November 10. The extension was confirmed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a three-day state visit, Reuters reported. Trump personally greeted Xi upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, marking the Chinese leader’s first visit to the United States in nearly three years. The two-month reprieve provides both administrations with additional negotiating runway to address friction points spanning trade imbalances, advanced technology controls, and supply chain security.
https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/as-dan-china-perpanjang-gencatan-dagang-hingga-januari-2027
US Reliance on Chinese Rare Earths Projected to Persist into 2030s Despite Domestic Output Surge
U.S. efforts to unwind reliance on China for rare earth minerals are projected to take far longer than initially anticipated, with Washington expected to remain dependent on Chinese imports well into the 2030s despite aggressive drives to build out domestic extraction and refining infrastructure. The persistent supply bottleneck stands as a pivotal strategic topic confronting U.S. President Donald Trump during bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Classified among 60 critical minerals by the U.S. government, rare earths require specialized processing to produce permanent magnets and essential inputs for defense manufacturing, automotive production, semiconductors, and advanced electronics. While data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence shows that U.S. production of the two most widely used rare earth elements has more than tripled since Trump returned to office last year, the complex midstream processing deficit ensures that full supply chain decoupling remains an elusive, long-term challenge.
Volkswagen Expands Xpeng Partnership with Pre-Sales of ID. UNYX 09 Fastback Sedan in China
Volkswagen has opened pre-sales in China for the ID. UNYX 09, an all-electric fastback sedan developed jointly with Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng. The vehicle represents the second production model to emerge from the bilateral tie-up, following the debut of the ID. UNYX 08 electric SUV in early 2026. The rollout comes amid intensifying operational headwinds for the German automaker in its largest single market, where softening deliveries and shrinking profit margins have accelerated the need to close the technological and cost gap with domestic competitors. Anchored under Volkswagen’s localized "in China, for China" operational strategy, the deepened technical collaboration with Xpeng is designed to compress vehicle development cycles and mount a stronger defense against dominant local EV leaders such as BYD and Geely.