China and the United States have agreed to hold another round of trade negotiations next week as both countries move to ease tensions and prevent a renewed tariff war between the world’s two largest economies.
The agreement followed a Saturday morning call between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during which both sides reportedly held “candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges,” according to Chinese state media. They pledged to meet “as soon as possible” for in-person talks.
On social media, Bessent described the conversation as “frank and detailed,” adding that discussions would continue next week. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also joined the call, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.
The renewed dialogue comes days after Beijing imposed sweeping export controls on rare earth materials, sparking concern in Washington. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports and had considered cancelling his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
However, in an interview with Fox News aired shortly before the talks, Trump confirmed that he would meet Xi at the summit after all, saying that while the proposed tariffs were “not sustainable,” they were necessary to push back against China’s trade policies.
