Ahead of Trump-Xi talks, Chinese premier Li Qiang warns against ‘Law of the Jungle’ in trade

Li denounced “unilateralism” and called for nations to strengthen their commitment to free and fair trade.

Just days before his much-anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump faced a veiled rebuke from Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who warned against a return to “the law of the jungle” in global trade.

Speaking at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Li denounced “unilateralism” and called for nations to strengthen their commitment to free and fair trade. Without naming Washington, he cautioned that protectionist policies and tariff battles were destabilising the global economy.

“Economic globalisation and multipolarity are irreversible,” Li said. “The world should not return to the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak.” He added that protectionism was becoming “rampant” and posed “huge risks to the region.”

Notably, Li’s comments came as the US and China moved closer to resolving their long-running trade war. Over the weekend, negotiators from both sides said they had reached an “initial consensus” on a framework deal ahead of the Trump–Xi summit.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the threat of a 100 percent tariff hike on Chinese imports was “effectively off the table,” expressing optimism that “a successful framework” was ready for the leaders to finalise during their Thursday meeting in South Korea.

Trump had earlier warned Beijing that if no agreement was reached by November 1, he would impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods.

The upcoming talks in Seoul will mark Trump and Xi’s first face-to-face encounter since Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year. Both sides hope the meeting will produce at least a temporary truce in their trade dispute, which has rattled global markets and supply chains.

While en route to Japan as part of his Asia tour, Trump struck a hopeful tone about the negotiations. “We meet in South Korea with President Xi. I think we’re going to have a good deal with China,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that he intended to visit China “in the earlier part of 2026.”

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng had held two days of negotiations to narrow differences and avert the looming tariff hike. Both sides have since confirmed that a preliminary deal is in place, raising hopes that Thursday’s Trump–Xi summit could mark a turning point in US-China trade relations.