The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Sept. 16, edition that tensions between Washington and Beijing escalated as the U.S. Commerce Department added Chinese chip companies to a trade blacklist, affecting trade talks. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe reports that China responded by launching an investigation into U.S. microchip exports. Additionally, on Monday a Chinese regulator stated that Nvidia violated antitrust laws, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted, during a meeting in Madrid, that the action had "poor timing." The U.S. and China are discussing tariff reductions and China's restrictions on rare earth minerals. The Trump administration is also worried about China's halted purchases of American agricultural products, impacting soybean farmers. President Donald Trump and China's leader, Xi Jinping, may meet next month at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in South Korea. Mr. Trump has also hinted at a possible visit to China at Mr. Xi's invitation. The recent talks followed Mr. Xi's meeting with leaders from over 20 countries in China without the U.S. Mr. Trump's tough trade tactics have strained alliances, creating an opportunity for China to push for closer relationships.