China appears to downplay US trade deal Trump said was 'done'
HONG KONG and LONDON -- A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday appeared to downplay what President Donald Trump said Wednesday was a "done" trade deal addressing export restrictions on rare earths and semiconductors.
Speaking at a press conference, the spokesperson characterized the outcome of this week's trade negotiations in London as a "framework" to consolidate what was agreed to at negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, in May. This week's talks in the U.K. represented the "first meeting," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson did not offer further details on what was agreed this week, telling reporters, "New progress was also made in addressing each side's trade concerns."
On rare earths, the spokesperson said China would issue export licenses based on "reasonable needs" and noted that "compliant applications have already been approved."
Trump on Wednesday framed the talks as having reached a deal.
"Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me," Trump said on Truth Social, adding that the relationship between the world's two leading economic powerhouses was "excellent."
Trump said that the U.S. would get "a total of 55% tariffs" with China's tariffs set at 10%.
Trump added, "Full magnets and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!)."
MORE: Trump says China trade deal 'done,' but subject to 'final approval'
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick referred to the agreement as a "handshake for a framework." Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping will now have to approve the framework, Lutnick said. That step would appear to mean there were some concessions that both leaders did not give their negotiating teams authority to negotiate away.
"Once that's done, we will be back on the phone together and we will begin to implement this agreement," Lutnick said. "The two largest economies in the world have reached a handshake for framework."
ABC News' Kevin Shalvey and Britt Clennett contributed to this report.
China appears to downplay US trade deal Trump said was 'done' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
"No Kings" protests taking place in Northern California on Saturday
Multiple protests are expected throughout Northern California as part of the "No Kings" movement on Saturday. The protests coincide with President Donald Trump's birthday and the military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army in Washington D.C., which Mr. Trump will be attending. "On June 14—Flag Day— President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday," the No Kings website states. "We're not gathering to feed his ego. We're building a movement that leaves him behind." Northern California events A protest is planned at the California State Capitol on the West steps in Sacramento. It will begin at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 1 p.m. According to Indivisible Sacramento, the event host, there will be speakers at the Capitol protest. Some of the speakers include Assembly Member Maggie Krell and Sacramento council member Roger Dickinson. Other protests are planned at the Roseville Galleria, Galt City Hall, East Bidwell Street/Highway 50 Overpass in Folsom, San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. A protest is scheduled at 10 a.m. in Woodland, with people marching from the new courthouse to the old courthouse. In Davis, an event is planned at the Superior Court at 10 a.m. Non-violent protests The organizing page for No Kings states the movement is committed to non-violent action. "We expect all participants to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events," its website states.
USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Melania Trump compared to 'grandma's couch' in floral pants outfit with bright heels
Melania Trump compared to 'grandma's couch' in floral pants outfit with bright heels Show Caption Hide Caption Melania Trump statue sawed off, stolen A bronze statue of Melania Trump has gone missing in her home country of Slovenia, five years after it replaced a wooden statue that was burned. First Lady Melania Trump's risky fashion behavior has fully bloomed. With summer underway, the ultra-private wife of President Donald Trump made an appearance on June 12, as dozens flocked to the White House South Lawn for the 2025 Congressional Picnic. Again, Trump raised eyebrows after sporting Dolce and Gabbana peony-print cotton jacquard pants and pink suede Manolo Blahnik pumps while greeting guests during the event. The List, an entertainment and lifestyle site geared towards women, said the "eye-popping pants look like grandma's couch." Melania Trump wears black veil to Pope Francis' funeral as President Trump dons blue suit Trump's fashion choices, which are thought to reveal subtle hints about her mood, are the subject of fierce controversy and constant attention. On Jan. 20, she emerged in a dark navy silk wool coat and skirt with an ivory silk crepe blouse designed by Adam Lippes for her husband's second inauguration ceremony. Although she often surprises watchers with her bargain buys and luxurious looks alike, the low-key black dress (and viral matching wide-brim hat) at the swearing-in was a stark departure from the Jacqueline Kennedy-inspired powder blue dress that she wore for her husband's first inauguration in 2017. The former fashion model — and first practicing Catholic to serve as first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy — also made headlines when she attended the April 26 service of Pope Francis in a double-breasted coat dress paired with a traditional veil, gloves and black stilettos.
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
As Trump Prepares to Celebrates Army's Founding, His Critics Take to the Streets
President Trump prepared on Saturday to make a show of American military might with a parade of tanks, missiles and aircraft through the heart of the nation's capital, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Army that has already transformed into a test of wills and competing imagery, with demonstrators around the country decrying his expansion of executive power. On Saturday, central Washington was locked down, divided by a wall of tall, black crowd-control fences designed to assure that the parade, the first of its kind since American troops returned from the Gulf War in 1991, is an uninterrupted demonstration of history and American power. The event was scheduled to go on despite a forecast of thunderstorms. By design, military parades are part national celebration and part international intimidation, and Mr. Trump has wanted one in Washington since he attended a Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017. Formally, the parade celebrates the decision by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, to raise a unified, lightly armed force of colonialists after the shock of the battles with British forces at Lexington and Concord. That army, which George Washington took command of a month later, ultimately expelled the far larger, better armed colonial force. But no celebration of history takes place in a political vacuum. And protesters in large cities and small towns from Seattle to Key West were planning to demonstrate against how Mr. Trump is making use of the modern force. His decisions over the past week to federalize the National Guard and call the Marines into the streets of Los Angeles, in support of his immigration roundups, has rekindled a debate about whether he is abusing the powers of the commander in chief. So the country was preparing for a split-screen show of force, before Mr. Trump presides over the parade and roughly 2,000 protests, under the slogan 'No Kings,' take place from Philadelphia to San Francisco to push back against what they see at authoritarian overreach. While the big-city rallies will attract attention, smaller events are being organized in rural areas, including three dozen in Indiana, a state Mr. Trump won last November by 19 points. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
