US-China trade talks round 2 in London ‘positive step' but rough road ahead: analysts
trade talks in London next week would signal positive development in ties but the negotiations would not be easy, observers said.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media reaction to the expected talks was muted, with commentaries reminding the US to honour its pledges while asserting Beijing's red lines.
On Friday, a day after his much-anticipated phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump announced that a new round of high-level bilateral meetings were due to take place in the British capital.
'I am pleased to announce that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will be meeting in London on Monday, June 9, 2025, with Representatives of China, with reference to the Trade Deal,' Trump wrote on his social media platform.
'The meeting should go very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'
During their phone conversation on Thursday – the first since Trump returned to the White House in January – the two leaders agreed to advance talks aimed at resolving trade disputes between the world's two largest economies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
11 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Newsom takes Trump meme war to Maga, delighting Democrats and irking Republicans
All-caps hyperbole, wild accusations and idiosyncratic spelling: not just an average Wednesday on Donald Trump's Truth Social feed, but a new digital media strategy for California Governor Gavin Newsom that is delighting Democrats – and riling Republicans. Newsom – hotly tipped for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – has been parodying Trump with a series of posts written in the Republican leader's distinct style that he hopes will show his party how to beat the social media master at his own game. In recent weeks, the governor has posted all manner of manipulated images depicting him in the kind of over-the-top vignettes popular among Trump's 'Maga' movement – superimposing his face on Mount Rushmore and appearing to pray with Maga favourites Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan. When Trump's one-word weekend post – saying simply 'Bela' – left the president's supporters scratching their heads, Newsom posted a screenshot alongside his own caption: 'DONALD (TINY HANDS), HAS WRITTEN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY THIS MORNING - UNFORTUNATELY (LOW IQ) HE SPELLED IT WRONG - 'BETA.'' The 57-year-old Democrat mocked Trump's salesman-like rhetorical style in a post about redistricting plans that he said had led 'MANY' people to call him 'GAVIN CHRISTOPHER 'COLUMBUS' NEWSOM (BECAUSE OF THE MAPS!).' And he has taken to ending his posts with the much-mocked sign-off that Trump, 79, made famous: 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!'
South China Morning Post
41 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
China firm slammed for glorifying overtime work; 1 worker logs 160 extra hours in a month
A company in China has landed itself in hot water for praising employees who work extra hours after it emerged that the longest overtime total for one employee was 160 hours in a month. On August 6, the Yisai e-commerce Company in Shanghai issued a notice of commendation for the overtime performances of its staff. The document soon went viral on mainland social media, the China Youth Daily reported. 'After gathering the data of our workers' clock-off times at the entrance guard system, we found a group of employees who are highly responsible about their jobs and have made selfless contributions to our company. They are the role models for all of us,' the company said in the notice. The company said it collected data on how much overtime its staff did on its 'entrance guard system'. It listed the top 15 workers in terms of their overtime hours in July.
South China Morning Post
41 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
China's shipments of major fertiliser surge 600%, signalling softer export curbs
Chinese shipments of urea – a major fertiliser and chemical used to reduce emissions – have surged after Beijing reportedly eased an export ban imposed last year to curb domestic prices and maintain food security Analysts said exports of the chemical – a type of nitrogen used in agriculture as well as to curb diesel and industrial emissions – may continue rising in August and September, as a large portion of the quota remained unused and shipments to India might resume. China exported 567,184 tonnes of urea in July, an increase of 614 per cent year-on-year and a 7.6-fold rise from June's shipments, according to customs data released on Wednesday. Exports in June had already jumped to nearly 66,241 tonnes, compared with an average of no more than 2,200 tonnes a month between January and May. The remarkable surge was mostly attributed to an exceptionally low base last year caused by the ban, reinforcing market speculation that Beijing had relaxed controls. Xu Xiaoyun, an analyst from commodity consultancy JLC Network Technology, noted that inspections restarted in late May before Beijing issued its quota. 'The urea exports in June and July were conducted under government guidance, with quota limits and price controls, rather than being fully opened.' Export destinations for the chemical also expanded from 13 countries and regions in June to 31 in July, customs data showed.
