Top U.S. officials will meet with a senior Chinese delegation in Switzerland this weekend, marking the first major talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump launched a trade war with sweeping tariffs on imports. The administration announced the meeting on Tuesday, signaling a possible thaw in relations amid mounting economic concerns at home.
Why It Matters
Although President Trump has previously claimed that the U.S. and China were already negotiating tariff reductions, Beijing has publicly denied that talks had begun, insisting that the U.S. must first lower its punitive tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to clarify the situation during testimony before a House committee Tuesday, stating that the two sides “have not engaged in negotiations,” but added that “as early as this week,” the U.S. would be announcing new trade deals with some of its largest trading partners.
As of now, the U.S. imposes tariffs of up to 145 percent on select Chinese imports, including electronics, machinery, and auto parts, significantly expanded under President Trump. In response, China has retaliated with tariffs of up to 84 percent on a range of American products, including agricultural goods, vehicles and industrial materials.
Trump’s tariffs—designed to squeeze China and stimulate domestic manufacturing—have so far produced the opposite effect: weakening U.S. growth while China’s economy, at least for now, accelerates.
What to Know
Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel to Geneva to engage with their Chinese counterparts in what will be the highest-level discussions between the two nations in months. The talks come as American businesses and consumers grow increasingly anxious about the rising costs and supply disruptions tied to Trump’s tariff policies.
Although President Trump has previously claimed that the U.S. and China were already negotiating tariff reductions, Beijing has publicly denied that talks had begun, insisting that the U.S. must first lower its punitive tariffs. Bessent appeared to clarify the situation during testimony before a House committee Tuesday, stating that the two sides “have not engaged in negotiations,” but added that “as early as this week,” the U.S. would be announcing new trade deals with some of its largest trading partners.
China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed the upcoming meeting between Vice Premier He Lifeng and Bessent.
Both Bessent and Greer have had prior interactions with Chinese officials before the trade conflict escalated. Greer told Fox News Channel last month that he had a more-than-hour-long conversation with his Chinese counterpart before the trade war began, describing the exchange as “constructive.”
Similarly, in February, Bessent met with Vice Premier He Lifeng “to exchange views on the bilateral economic relationship,” according to a Treasury Department news release.
What People Are Saying
China’s Commerce Ministry said, “The Chinese side carefully evaluated the information from the U.S. side and decided to agree to have contact with the U.S. side after fully considering global expectations, Chinese interests and calls from U.S. businesses and consumers.”
Greer told Fox News earlier this month, “This is not a plan just to encircle China. It’s a plan to fix the American economy, to have a greater share of manufacturing as GDP, to have real wages go up, to be producing things instead of having an economy that’s financed by the government.”
What’s Next
In addition to meeting their Chinese counterparts, Bessent and Greer also plan to meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, according to readouts from their offices.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Update: 5/6/25, 7:21 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.
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