Asia, Caught in the Middle, Faces Trump and Xi’s Tug of War

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 6 min read 100% complete by David PiersonOctober 25, 2025 at 06:01 AM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

President Trump's upcoming visit to Malaysia will bring him face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, amidst a region increasingly caught between the two superpowers' competing interests. The US and China are vying for influence in Asia over trade, technology, and Taiwan's status. During his tour, Mr. Trump will meet with leaders from countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Thailand, which are under pressure to choose sides. Beijing has offered trade deals and investments to its neighbors, while warning of consequences if they join Washington in restricting trade with China. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea is a key backdrop for the talks between Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi, which could determine the fate of global trade and the balance of power in the region.

Key Topics & Entities

Malaysia 50% Taiwan ×260% US ×470% China ×570% Donald Trump ×480% Xi Jinping ×380%

Keywords

us-china rivalry 90% asia-pacific 80% taiwan 70% trade war 60% south china sea 50% supremacy rivalry 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Taiwan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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us-china rivalry asia-pacific taiwan trade war south china sea supremacy rivalry

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