Weeks after reviving talks in Geneva, Bessent signals need for top-level intervention, proposing a Trump–Xi Jinping call to break the deadlock.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that trade negotiations with China were “a bit stalled” and suggested a phone call between President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to break the deadlock.
“I think we’ll have more conversations with them in the coming weeks,” Bessent said, adding that “there was a moment when the president thought things were moving along quite well,” but that is no longer the case.
“Given the scale and complexity of the talks, I think both leaders will need to get involved. They have a very good relationship, and I trust the Chinese will come to the table when President Trump makes his preferences known,” Bessent noted, referring to the contacts established after the White House imposed tariffs that sparked retaliatory measures from Beijing and escalated tensions between the two nations and in global markets.
In contrast, the Secretary highlighted that negotiations with the rest of the international community remain on track, even despite a recent New York court ruling that temporarily paused the tariffs — a move many speculated could be exploited by other nations to gain leverage.
“They are coming to us in good faith, trying to finalize the deals before the 90-day pause ends. We’ve seen no change in attitude over the last 48 hours. In fact, tomorrow morning, a large Japanese delegation will be at my office,” he added in an interview with Fox News.
Following the tariff standoff — where US duties on Chinese imports surpassed 145%, and Beijing responded with its own tariffs exceeding 125% — the two countries agreed to meet in Geneva for a weekend of talks to repair ties.
In mid-May, delegations from both sides traveled to Switzerland, and after addressing mutual concerns, they issued a joint statement agreeing to immediately reduce reciprocal tariffs for 90 days.
According to the statement, Washington lowered its tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while Beijing reduced its rates from 125% to 10%. A permanent bilateral dialogue mechanism was also established, enabling regular and emergency meetings on trade and economic relations.
Bessent praised the “great respect” shown by both sides and the “solid” and “productive” discussions. Trump, for his part, celebrated the “great progress” on his social media and even hinted at the possibility of a “total reset” in relations.
China’s Ministry of Commerce similarly welcomed the “substantial progress” made in the talks, emphasizing that the results show Washington’s interest in “continuing to work with China to correct the erroneous practice of unilateral tariff increases.”
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