The stage is set for high-stakes Trump-Xi meeting
FT News Briefing
Forhecz Topher
4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 27 October 2025
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
US President Donald Trump is in Asia this week ahead of high-stakes trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Plus, the UK chancellor is pushing for her own trade deal in the Gulf, and the US Federal Reserve is heading into its next meeting without some important economic data.
Mentioned in this podcast:
‘Positive framework’ agreed for Trump-Xi summit, says Scott Bessent
UK chancellor to hold Gulf trade talks in push for pro-growth policies
Markets brace as Argentines go to the polls
Today’s FT News Briefing was produced by Ethan Plotkin, Victoria Craig, Sonja Hutson, and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Alexander Higgins. Additional help from Peter Barber. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning from the Financial Times. Today is Monday, October 27th, and this is your FT News Briefing. |
| 0:10.5 | The stage is set for presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to ease mounting trade tensions, |
| 0:16.3 | and Britain's chancellor tries to secure her own deal at the so-called Davos in the Desert Investment Conference. |
| 0:22.9 | Plus, all eyes are on Jerome Powell ahead of this week's U.S. Federal Reserve meeting. |
| 0:27.9 | The door has been kind of left open for the Fed to make the cut of 25 basis points that's been anticipated for some time. |
| 0:35.4 | I'm Victoria Craig, and here's the news you need to start your day. |
| 0:50.0 | President Trump is on a whirlwind diplomatic tour of Asia this week, all culminating in a high-stakes |
| 0:56.3 | meeting with China's Xi Jinping. Trump arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, agreed a flurry of trade deals, |
| 1:02.7 | and addressed the ASEAN block of Southeast Asian countries, emphasizing his interest in forging |
| 1:08.7 | stronger U.S. ties with the region. |
| 1:16.5 | In addition to the agreement with Malaysia this week, we're also signing or nearing completion on trade. |
| 1:23.0 | It deals with many other Indo-Pacific partners from Cambodia to Japan to South Korea. |
| 1:27.4 | That is all a prelude for the Trump-She meeting on Thursday. The pair will speak on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Summit in South Korea, their first face-to-face meeting since Trump's return to office. |
| 1:36.4 | Ahead of those talks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with China's vice premier and said a, quote, very positive framework had been set. Here he is, Unbeat the Press. |
| 1:46.3 | I think we are going to be able to discuss substantial soybean and ag purchases for our American farmers. |
| 1:55.0 | I think we are going to be able to discuss more balanced trade. |
| 1:58.7 | We'll hear to explain the stakes of Trump's travels is our Washington Bureau Chief |
| 2:02.7 | James Politi. |
| 2:03.7 | Hi, James. |
| 2:05.0 | Hi. |
| 2:05.8 | So how significant is this framework ahead of that all-important meeting later this week |
| 2:11.0 | between the two presidents? |
... |
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