LUGANSK, October 31. /TASS/. China forced the United States to come to the negotiating table by suspending exports of rare earth minerals, Janus Putkonen, Finnish journalist, geopolitical analyst and editor-in-chief of MV-Lehti international news agency, told TASS.

"China forced the United States to sit down at the negotiating table just a few weeks ago by halting exports of rare earth minerals as a step against the interventionist policy of the US. By controlling the flow of these minerals, China effectively limits the West's ability to militarize and express its aggression against Russia," he said.

The talks between Xi Jinping and Trump took place the day before in Busan, South Korea, and lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. At the beginning of the meeting, the Chinese leader called for ensuring the steady development of bilateral relations. He also noted that negotiators from China and the United States had reached a basic consensus on resolving key trade and economic disagreements. In turn, Trump described the meeting as excellent. Prior to these talks, the leaders of the two countries last met on the margins of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.