Trump, Xi likely to discuss trade soon: Bessent

The Hill

2 days ago

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely talk about trade 'soon' amid trade tensions between the two countries, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday.
Bessent said during a Sunday interview on CBS's 'Face the Nation' that he expects to see talks between the two leaders 'soon,' which would include discussions on critical minerals.
'I am confident that when President Trump and party Chairman Xi have a call, that this will be ironed out,' he said. 'But the fact that they are withholding some of the products that they agreed to release during our agreement — maybe it's a glitch in the Chinese system, maybe it's intentional.'
When host Margaret Brennan asked if there was a scheduled date for the discussion, Bessent replied, 'I believe we'll see something very soon, Margaret.'
National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett hinted that the two leaders may have discussions as soon as this week.
'President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi, that's our expectation,' Hassett said on ABC's 'This Week.'
Their statements come days after Bessent said talks with China over trade are 'a bit stalled.'
Last week, a federal court ruled that an emergency law did not grant Trump unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country, blocking the president's April 'Liberation Day' tariffs and earlier orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
A federal appeals court lifted the first ruling a day later, though a separate federal court blocked the majority of the president's tariffs on the same day.