I T IS THE start of the most important week of diplomacy for Donald Trump since he returned to office. A meeting between the American president and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is planned for October 30th and comes after Mr Trump’s whistlestop tour of many of his country’s most important Asian allies.

US and Chinese officials have reached a framework agreement, averting a potentially ruinous 157% tariff on Chinese goods while paving the way for a potential trade deal to be discussed between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week.

Both sides announced they had reached a "basic consensus" on a potential agreement following two days of talks between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and a U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Mr Xi is firmly in charge, and unabashed about showing the party and the world that he will dump anyone deemed to be a bad actor. It was unclear what, exactly, the purged officials had done to deserve their punishment.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could "consummate" the TikTok deal announced last month when they meet on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

Nearly one in six officials who had Central Committee seats were absent from a major conclave, many of them now disgraced.

The officials were accused of major financial crimes, sparking intense speculation about instability within Xi Jinping’s regime. Reports suggested that President Xi might be under internal pressure after loyalists were removed from power.

Trump's Asia summit tour includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other regional leaders as trade tensions with Beijing escalate.