Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Xi Jinping, the President of China, are seen facing each other at the G20 summit held in Osaka, Japan, in 2019. Reuters/Yonhap News.
On the 9th (local time), Xinhua News Agency reported that the United States and China began their second high-level trade talks in London, UK.
Xinhua stated, “Vice Premier He Lifeng of the State Council has started the first meeting of US-China trade discussions with the American side in London.”
In the meeting held that day, the US delegation included Secretary of the Treasury Scott Besent, who participated in the first trade talks in Geneva, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who oversees export controls. The Chinese side did not disclose specific attendees other than Vice Premier He Lifeng.
The US and China have entered talks for the second time following the high-level trade negotiations held in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 10-11. The countries convened to continue discussions on the preliminary agreement reached in Geneva.
At that time, both countries agreed to significantly lower the high tariffs imposed on each other, and China agreed to withdraw non-tariff measures such as core mineral export restrictions announced in retaliation. However, the US claimed that China violated the agreement by maintaining restrictions on the export of critical minerals, including rare earths. The negotiations had stalled as China protested US measures such as canceling visas for Chinese students.
Therefore, foreign media anticipated that the main agenda of this second meeting would focus more on export controls than tariffs.