US and China to Hold Trade Talks in Geneva Amid Tariff Tension
Top officials from Washington and Beijing to meet in Switzerland as Donald Trump hints at reducing levies on Chinese imports to 80 per cent
Senior officials from the United States and China are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this weekend for discussions aimed at de-escalating the growing trade war between the two economic powerhouses.
The talks come after US President Donald Trump implemented widespread tariffs on goods from China, prompting retaliatory measures from Beijing.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are set to hold discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva on Saturday, 10th May, and Sunday, 11th May.
This will be the first high-level engagement since Mr Trump significantly increased tariffs on Chinese goods last month.
Tariffs imposed on China since the start of the year have reached a cumulative 145 per cent, with some items facing duties as high as 245 per cent. China has responded with tariffs of up to 125 per cent on US goods, effectively creating a situation akin to a "trade ban" between the world's two largest economies.
US President Trump suggested on Friday that he might be prepared to reduce the hefty tariffs imposed on China, stating on social media that an 80 per cent tariff on Chinese goods seemed "appropriate."
However, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Trump would not unilaterally reduce tariffs and that China would also need to offer concessions.
Bill Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), commented that relations between the US and China are currently "not good," with tariffs hindering trade in both directions and overall ties deteriorating. He added that the upcoming meeting was nevertheless a welcome sign.
"I think the meeting is a demonstration that both sides are still willing to talk, and that in itself is very important," Reinsch said.
Xu Bin, a professor of economics and finance at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), told AFP that China was the only country to have responded to Trump's tariffs with a "tit-for-tat" approach.
World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, based in Geneva, welcomed the upcoming discussions on Friday, describing the meeting as a "positive and constructive step" towards resolving the trade dispute.
Continued dialogue between the world's two largest economies is seen as vital in easing trade tensions, preventing geopolitical fragmentation, and safeguarding global economic growth.
The US and China are set to meet just two days after Trump announced a "historic" trade agreement with the United Kingdom, the first such deal since he initiated global tariffs last month.
The non-legally binding five-page agreement offered reassurance to investors that the US administration was still willing to negotiate sector-specific tariff relief, in this case concerning cars, steel, and aluminium from the UK.
In return, the UK agreed to open its markets to US agricultural products such as beef. However, the 10 per cent tariff base on most UK goods remains, and Trump has indicated his intention to maintain this rate for other countries currently in negotiations with the US.
