US and China are holding trade talks in London after Trump's phone call with Xi
Top officials from America and China convened in London. They aimed to strengthen a shaky agreement in their trade conflict. The meeting, led by He Lifeng and Howard Lutnick, follows earlier discussions in Geneva. Both sides seek to resolve disagreements over semiconductors and rare earth minerals. A phone call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping preceded the talks.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, right, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent before their meeting to discuss China-U.S. trade, in London, Monday, June 9, 2025. (Li Ying/Xinhua via AP)
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
High-level delegations from the United States and China met in London on Monday to try and shore up a fragile truce in a trade dispute that has roiled the global economy.A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House, an ornate 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.Wang Wentao, China's commerce minister, also was part of Beijing's delegation.The talks, which may continue on Tuesday, follow negotiations in Geneva last month that brought a temporary respite in the trade war.The two countries announced on May 12 they had agreed to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100 per cent-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that had sparked fears of recession.The US and China are the world's biggest and second-biggest economies. Chinese trade data shows that exports to the United States fell 35 per cent in May from a year earlier.Since the Geneva talks, the US and China have exchanged angry words over advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, visas for Chinese students at American universities and "rare earth" minerals that are vital to car makers and other industries.President Donald Trump spoke at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone last Thursday in an attempt to put relations back on track. Trump announced on social media the following day that the trade talks would resume in London.Rare earths were expected to be a focus of the talks. The Chinese government started requiring producers to obtain a licence to export seven rare earth elements in April. Resulting shortages sent automakers worldwide into a tizzy. As stockpiles ran down, some worried they would have to halt production.Beijing indicated Saturday that it is addressing the concerns, which have come from European companies as well as US firms.Kevin Hassett, a US economic adviser, told CNBC on Monday that he expected a short meeting with "a big, strong handshake" on rare earths.The UK government says it is providing the venue and logistics but is not involved in the talks, though British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves met with both Bessent and He on Sunday, and UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was due to meet Wang."We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks," the British government said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Relief for Gali: HC suspends conviction, grants him bail in illegal mining case
Hyderabad: Telangana high court Wednesday suspended both the conviction and sentence of Karnataka former minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy in an illegal mining case while also giving him bail, an order that would save Gali's position as an MLA. Following the conviction and seven-year sentence imposed by a special CBI court, Gali stood disqualified as an MLA and the election authorities would have held a bypoll soon for his seat (Gangavathi). Agreeing with the arguments of the legislator's lawyer, senior counsel S Nagamuthun, that damages from the conviction were irreversible, Justice K Lakshman also ordered his release from jail with certain conditions. Gali was told not to leave the country or commit unlawful acts anywhere and to furnish two sureties worth Rs 10 lakh. He has already served half of the seven-year sentence while being a remand prisoner. Along with Gali, three other individuals – BV Srinivas Reddy (Obulapuram Mining Company MD), VD Rajagopal (former director, AP mines and geology department) and Mehfuz Ali Khan (PA to Gali) – and one entity, the company OMC, were convicted by the special CBI court last month. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Amazon's Hottest Selling Hearing Aid Is Back On Sale Oricle Hearing Aid Learn More Undo On Tuesday, apart from Gali, Justice Lakshman stayed the conviction of the entity OMC. The judge also granted bail to the other three with the same conditions. The criminal appeals of these three against their conviction will be heard on Aug 11. Srilakshmi issue to be heard on June 19 The judge also sought a counter from the CBI in the criminal revision plea filed by senior IAS officer and former AP industries secretary Y Srilakshmi and posted her case to June 19. The HC had earlier discharged her from the case but the CBI had appealed in the Supreme Court, which directed the HC to hear the CBI version also before arriving at a conclusion. On Tuesday, senior counsel P Venugopal, appearing for Srilakshmi, said she has an apprehension about Justice Lakshman hearing her revision plea in view of last year's judgment delivered by him where he had refused to quash the case against her. When CBI counsel Srinivas Kapatia sought a week's time to file their counter, the judge reminded him that the CBI could not dodge filing a counter now, saying, "You complained to the apex court about the HC not hearing your version. But here you have not filed your counter despite a three-month deadline fixed by the Supreme Court asking the HC to decide the issue." Srilakshmi had succeeded Kripanandam as industries secretary. The special court, while convicting Gali and the others, had acquitted Kripanandam as well as then industry minister Sabitha Indra Reddy in the illegal mining case.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Bruce Springsteens Berlin concert echoes with history and a stark warning
Last Updated: Berlin, Jun 11 (AP) Veteran rock star Bruce Springsteen, a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump, slammed the US administration as 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous" during a concert on Wednesday in Berlin. He was addressing tens of thousands of fans at a stadium built for the 1936 Olympic Games that still bears the scars of World War II and contains relics from the country's dark Nazi past. 'Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices, stand with us against authoritarianism, and let freedom reign," he said. Springsteen, long a political opponent of the president, has made increasingly pointed and contentious public statements in recent concerts. He denounced Trump's politics during a concert last month in Manchester, calling him an 'unfit president" leading a 'rogue government" of people who have 'no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American." Springsteen is no stranger to Berlin. In July 1988, he became one of the first Western musicians to perform in East Germany, performing to a ravenous crowd of 1,60,000 East Germans yearning for American rock 'n' roll and the freedom it represented to the youth living under the crumbling communist regime. An Associated Press news story from that period says 'fireworks steaked through the sky" and hundreds of people in the audience waved handmade American flags as they sang along to 'Born in the USA." Almost four decades later, Springsteen issued a stark warning, 'The America that I love, the America that I've sung to you about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration." (AP) RUK RUK
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'keeping Americans safe, both at home & abroad': Why US is pulling staff from the Middle East as nuclear talks with Iran stall
The United States is reducing its diplomatic and military footprint in parts of the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, as nuclear negotiations appear to stall and regional instability looms. The State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of all nonessential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad, citing a commitment 'to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.' The embassy had already been operating with limited staff. Additionally, the State Department is authorising the optional departure of nonessential personnel and family members from diplomatic posts in Bahrain and Kuwait. The US military is also following suit, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth approving the voluntary departure of military dependents from multiple locations across the region. US Central Command said it is 'monitoring the developing tension.' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly noted that the decisions came after a regular review of American personnel abroad. 'This decision was made as a result of a recent review,' she said. The move comes as efforts to revive the stalled US-Iran nuclear negotiations face fresh setbacks. Talks aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanction relief have reportedly reached a deadlock, with the next round—originally planned for this weekend in Oman—now in doubt. Two US officials, speaking anonymously, said it was increasingly unlikely the talks would go ahead. President Donald Trump offered a pessimistic assessment in a recent interview, saying he is 'getting more and more less confident about' reaching a deal. 'They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame,' he told the New York Post podcast Pod Force One. Iran, meanwhile, rejected threats of force. 'Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability,' its mission to the UN wrote online. Defence Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh added that if war were imposed, 'the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours,' warning the US that its regional bases 'are within our reach.' Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors is considering a censure resolution against Iran, which could trigger the reimposition of UN sanctions under the still-active 2015 nuclear deal. The US withdrew from that deal during Trump's first term. Amid the growing risk of conflict, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations Centre warned ships to exercise caution in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman—areas where Iran has previously seized or attacked vessels.
