Cliff Notes – US and Chinese officials meet in London for further trade talks
- US and Chinese delegations are negotiating significant trade issues, including tech export restrictions and rare earth minerals.
- President Trump reported “good reports” from the talks, which may set the stage for easing export controls and fulfilling trade commitments.
US and Chinese officials meet in London for further trade talks
Top US and Chinese officials met in London on Monday for trade talks amidst tensions between the two superpowers.
Beijing has sent Vice Premier He Lifeng for the negotiations while Washington is being represented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House.
Issues up for discussion were likely to include US restrictions on the sale of high-tech products to China, and China’s restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, where it dominates the global market.
What happened at the talks?
Talks wrapped on Monday evening with little revealed on the outcome. Negotiators were due to resume on Tuesday morning, sources told news agencies.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to the meeting in a phone call on Thursday.
On Monday, Trump told reporters the talks were going well and he was “only getting good reports” from his team in London.
It’s the first time officials from the two countries are meeting since May, when tariffs on both sides were cut back considerably following discussions in Switzerland.
US officials desire ‘handshake’ agreement
According to Trump, the talks will focus on the details of the May trade agreement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called on China to keep its side of the agreement to pave the way for a more comprehensive deal.
“The purpose of the meeting today is to make sure that they’re serious, but to literally get handshakes,” Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC in an interview.
He said the expectation was that immediately after the handshake, export controls would be eased and rare earths released in volume.
After the phone call between the two presidents last week, China has also called on the US to stick to the agreement, while refraining from criticism.
The talks, which could run into Tuesday, come at a crucial time for both economies, with investors looking for relief from Trump’s cascade of tariff orders since his return to the White House in January.
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Sources
Tariffs: US and China meet for trade talks in London – BBC
US, Chinese officials meet in London for further trade talks – DW
US-China trade, minerals talks in London set to extend to second day; Trump upbeat – Reuters
China’s exports to US plunge as trade talks start – FT