US-China trade talks got underway in London
Trade discussions between the US and China are taking place in London following a phone conversation between Trump and Xi Jinping. High-level delegations from the United States and China are convening in London on Monday in an effort to stabilize a tenuous truce in a trade dispute that has disrupted the global economy. A delegation from China, headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, is scheduled to engage with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a location in the city that remains undisclosed.
The discussions are expected to continue for a minimum of one day. The recent negotiations in Geneva last month provided a temporary reprieve in the ongoing trade conflict. On May 12, the two nations declared an agreement to suspend for 90 days the majority of the tariffs exceeding 100 percent that they had levied against one another, amid a trade conflict that had raised concerns about a potential recession.
Since then, the United States and China have engaged in a heated exchange regarding advanced semiconductors essential for artificial intelligence, rare earth materials crucial for automotive manufacturers and various other sectors, as well as the issuance of visas for Chinese students attending American universities. President Donald Trump engaged in an extensive telephone conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last Thursday, aiming to realign bilateral relations. Trump declared on social media the following day that trade discussions are scheduled for Monday in London.
The UK government asserts that it is facilitating the venue and logistics, yet it maintains a position of non-involvement in the discussions. The British government stated that as a nation that champions free trade, it has consistently maintained that a trade war serves no one’s interests, thus welcoming these discussions.
