Fact check: Have the US and China actually finally made a deal?

1. Summary of the results

While there has been significant diplomatic progress, characterizing it as a "final deal" would be premature and potentially misleading. What has actually occurred is:

• A tentative "handshake agreement" and trade framework was reached during talks in London ^[1]
• The agreement includes specific tariff reductions: US tariffs dropping from 145% to 30%, and Chinese tariffs from 125% to 10% ^[2]
• Both sides have agreed to ease various restrictions, including rare earth mineral exports from China and technology export limits from the US ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial details are often overlooked:

• The agreement is characterized as a "thin truce" rather than a comprehensive deal ^[2]
• It largely represents a return to previous arrangements rather than new progress, specifically reverting to a previous Geneva agreement ^[2]
• China's commitment to rare earth export licenses is only for 6 months, suggesting a temporary rather than permanent solution ^[2]
• The framework still requires final approval from both countries' leaders ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

There are several potential sources of confusion:

• President Trump's statement that "Our deal with China is done" ^[3] is not supported by the actual details of the agreement ^[2]
• The characterization of this as a "final" deal benefits:
• Political leaders seeking to claim diplomatic victories
• Market speculators looking for positive economic signals
• Industries affected by tariffs who want to project stability
• The agreement appears to be more of a return to status quo from several months ago rather than a groundbreaking new deal ^[1]