AsianFin -- U.S. and Chinese officials will resume their trade talks next Monday, around four weeks after the high-ranking ranking officials’ meeting in Geneva, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Credit：China Central Television
Trump on Friday announced three American senior officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts in London to discuss trade affairs, and expressed optimism on negotiations between the world’s two superpowers.
“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. The meeting should go very well,” Trump posted on his social media Truth Social.
Trump didn’t provide details about Chinese delegation. While China’s state-run news media outlets didn’t confirm Trump’s announcement, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng should serve as the top negotiator in the new round of negotiations just like the last round in Geneva.
He, as the Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, held a a high-level meeting with Bessent and Greer on economic and trade affairs during his visit to Switzerland from May 10 to 11, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. That was the first formal meeting over trade Beijing made public since the Trump administration intensified trade war this year.
The trade talks in London came on the heels of a phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China’s official news media outlets and embassy in the United States said it is Trump who request the call with Xi. Trump said in a social media post he on Thursday spoke to Xi for 90 minutes to discuss the preliminary trade deal U.S. and Chinese official had made last month, and two leaders made “a very positive conclusion”.
“I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal,” Trump wrote in the post.”The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.”
This is the first call between U.S. and Chinese presidents since Trump initiated the new round of trade war in February. The last Trump-Xi call took place in January, three days before Trump’s second inauguration on January 20.
Trump in the post revealed U.S. teams will shortly be meeting Chinese counterparts at a location to be determined, and Xi during the phone call “graciously invited” him and first lady Melania Trump to visit China, “and I reciprocated.” “As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing,” said Trump, adding that “We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting.”
Trump said on Thursday that the phone call with Xi focused “almost entirely on TRADE”, and the pair didn’t discuss any geopolitical matters related to Russia, Ukraine or Iran, but Xinhua reported Xi cautioned the Taiwan issue.
Xi emphasized that the U.S. must handle the Taiwan question with prudence, so that the fringe separatists bent on "Taiwan independence" will not be able to drag China and the United States into the dangerous terrain of confrontation and even conflict, Xinhua reported. In response, Trump said the United States will honor the one-China policy, per the report.
Xi said China always honor and deliver what has been promised, and urged U.S. to acknowledge the progress already made, and remove the negative measures taken against China, according to the report. The two sides should enhance communication in such fields as foreign affairs, economy and trade, military, and law enforcement to build consensus, clear up misunderstandings, and strengthen cooperation, Xi added.
It was reported by Xinhua that Trump told Xi the U.S. wants the Chinese economy to do very well, and the United States and China working together can get a lot of great things done. The United States loves to have Chinese students coming to study in America, the report cited Trump.
Xinhua reported Xi welcomed Trump to visit China again, and two presidents agreed that their teams should continue implementing the Geneva agreement and hold another round of meeting as soon as possible. The report didn’t mention Trump had reciprocated with an invite to the White House.
