EU and Chinese officials are planning to meet in Brussels in the “coming days” to discuss China’s new export controls over rare earths 2510090021), said Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade and economic security commissioner, in an Oct. 21 social media post. Sefcovic said Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will travel to Europe, and the EU hopes to “find urgent solutions on export controls.”
Social Media
Social media platforms are facing intense scrutiny over how they collect, share and monetize user data. As new state and federal laws focus on age verification, parental controls and transparency requirements, social media companies face legal risks around algorithmic targeting, third-party tracking and children's safety. This page follows key legislation, investigations and lawsuits shaping privacy practices for major social platforms.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a long, "very productive" phone call on Oct. 16. In addition to talking about the ceasefire in Gaza and the first lady's efforts to get Ukrainian children held in Russia or Russia-occupied Ukraine back to their parents in free Ukraine, "we also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over," he wrote.
President Donald Trump, on his way to Israel, softened his message on tariffs on Chinese goods. When asked if imposing those tariffs was still the plan, he said, "Right now it is. Let's see what happens. November 1st is an eternity."
President Donald Trump reacted angrily to China's plan to expand export restrictions, including when rare earths are in products made abroad (see 2510090021. In a social media post that seemed to trigger a 2.7% drop in the S&P 500, he wrote, "Dependent on what China says about the hostile 'order' that they have just put out, I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move. For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two."
The U.S. ambassador to NATO suggested this week that the Trump administration won’t sign off on any new Russia sanctions until all EU and NATO members stop buying Russian energy.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that U.S. soybean growers are hurting "because China is, for 'negotiating' reasons only, not buying. We’ve made so much money on Tariffs, that we are going to take a small portion of that money, and help our Farmers. I WILL NEVER LET OUR FARMERS DOWN!"
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said Sept. 26 that he plans to conduct “full oversight” of a new U.S.-China agreement that will transfer ownership and control of TikTok from China’s ByteDance to American investors.
President Donald Trump on Sept. 25 signed an executive order that a White House official said brings "into effect" the U.S.-China agreement that will eventually bring TikTok under the control of American investors (see 2509220010). Trump, speaking to reporters, said he had a "very good talk" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and "he gave us the go-ahead" to approve the deal. "We have American investors taking it over," Trump said, adding that technology company Oracle will "play a very big role in terms of security, safety and everything else."
A tentative TikTok deal reached between the U.S. and China will ensure the app will be majority-owned by American investors and will give the U.S. control over its algorithm, senior White House officials said during a call with reporters Sept. 22. TikTok’s U.S. operations will be transferred “into a new joint venture” based in the U.S., with a board of directors that’s mostly American, an official said. Technology company Oracle will “serve as a security provider,” overseeing “top-to-bottom security throughout the company.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and President Donald Trump discussed how to "decisively increase the pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin "to get him to agree to a peace deal."