Trump, Xi Likely to Speak Soon on Minerals Trade Dispute, Treasury's Bessent Says
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believes President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak soon to iron out trade issues including a dispute over critical minerals.
President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of violating an agreement with the US to mutually roll back tariffs and trade restrictions for critical minerals.
"What China is doing is they are holding back products that are essential for the industrial supply chains of India, of Europe. And that is not what a reliable partner does," Bessent said in an interview on Sunday with CBS' "Face the Nation."
"I am confident that when President Trump and Party Chairman Xi have a call, that this will be ironed out. 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. We'll see after the President speaks with the party chairman."
Trump said on Friday he was sure that he would speak to Xi. China said in April that the two leaders had not had a conversation recently.
Asked if a talk with Xi was on Trump's schedule, Bessent said, "I believe we'll see something very soon."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
33 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump congratulates Poland for picking his ally Nawrocki as president
US President Donald Trump congratulated Poland on Tuesday for electing his ally, nationalist Karol Nawrocki, as the country's next leader. 'TRUMP ALLY WINS IN POLAND, SHOCKING ALL IN EUROPE,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'Congratulations Poland, you picked a WINNER!'
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Iran deal would not allow ‘any' uranium enrichment
US President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes, as Tehran defended what it said was its 'peaceful' pursuit of fuel for power generation. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. 'Under our potential agreement – WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!' Trump said on his Truth Social network after the Axios news outlet said Washington's offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel. Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the impasse, saying the Democrat 'should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching.'' Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined. Iran has insisted that it has 'nothing to hide' on its nuclear program. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: 'If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached.' The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent—close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. 'There is a need for more transparency—this is very, very clear—in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities,' Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi. Grossi added that some of the report's findings 'may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticized.' Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions 'exploit' it. 'Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap,' Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Trump's administration. Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received 'elements' of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman. Both Araghchi and Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US–Iran talks and called for 'de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war.' On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: 'We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted.' 'So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue,' he said. The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. 'An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment,' Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Following a phone call with Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in Monday's press conference that 'the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises.' He warned that military confrontation would create 'a state of chaos from which no one will be spared.' Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium 'with or without a deal' on its nuclear program. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called 'acceptable' and in Tehran's 'best interest' to accept, US media reported on Saturday. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power.
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
South Korea votes for new president after martial law turmoil
South Koreans began voting Tuesday for a new president, capping six months of political upheaval following ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's disastrous declaration of martial law. A handful of elderly voters lined up at a polling station in Seoul's Munrae-dong area at 6:00 a.m. (2100 GMT) to cast their ballots. 'We were the first to arrive with the hope our candidate gets elected, and because the presidential election is the most important,' Yu Bun-dol, 80, told AFP, adding she was voting for the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate. Millions have already cast their ballots in the snap election, with more than a third of registered voters doing so last week during two days of early voting, the National Election Commission said. All major polls have put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead, with the latest Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate. Kim Moon-soo, from the conservative PPP—Yoon's former party—trailed Lee on 35 percent. The fallout from martial law, which has left South Korea effectively leaderless for the first months of US President Donald Trump's second term, is the top concern for voters, experts said. 'Polls show the election is largely viewed as a referendum on the previous administration,' Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP. 'What's particularly striking is that the martial law and impeachment crisis not only swayed moderates but also fractured the conservative base.' And analysts say that South Korea's conservative party is in crisis. Yoon's impeachment over a disastrous declaration of martial law, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament, made him the second straight conservative president to be stripped of office after Park Geun-hye in 2017. Conservative candidate Kim also failed to convince a third-party candidate, Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, to unify and avoid splitting the right-wing vote. 'Conservative politics was associated with competent governance, but it's now hard to argue that they remain capable,' said Kang Won-taek, a political science professor at Seoul National University. Lee's Democratic Party already holds a parliamentary majority, and analysts say the fractured conservative base will struggle in opposition unless it can resolve its issues. South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term. With a regular presidential election, there is a months-long transition period, and the new leader's term begins at midnight after the predecessor's final day. But in a snap election, the winner becomes president as soon as the National Election Commission ratifies the vote tally. After months of turmoil and a revolving door of lame-duck acting leaders, many South Koreans are eager for the country to move forward. In Gwangju, spiritual heartland of the South Korean left, Jung Se-yoon, 65, a retired teacher, said the election was a 'turning point.' 'It will take far too long for the country to get back on its feet if we miss this chance,' Jung said. Experts said voter turnout was expected to be high. 'The focus won't be on whether Lee will win, but on whether he will secure more than 50 percent of the vote,' said Bae Kang-hoon, co-founder of political think tank Valid. 'If he manages to do so, it would give him a significant boost in momentum to govern as president.'
