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Beijing and Washington began high-stakes trade negotiations in Geneva on Saturday. This is because China’s official media has called for the United States to lift tariffs on exports from the country to show “integrity.”
A meeting with Chinese negotiators, led by his Vice President, Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent, is the day after Donald Trump signaled his openness to cut tariffs on China to remove the trade war.
“High levels of economic and trade negotiations between China and the US have begun in Geneva,” state news agency Xinhua said in a brief statement on the meeting. This is expected to last for two days. No details were provided regarding his team. Bescent is accompanied by trade representative Jamieson Greer in consultation.
Late Saturday, those familiar with the matter said consultations would be convened for the day and resumed on Sunday.
In his true social platform post, Trump said both sides negotiated a “complete reset negotiated in a friendly but constructive way.”
On Friday, Trump suggested that the US could cut tariffs on Chinese products from 145% to 80%, and also called on Beijing to open a market for American products. But he added that it became Bescent.
Those familiar with the issue said it was important not to take Trump literally, and that the number was probably a negotiation tactic.
Washington and Beijing have been engaged in strict tariff measures since Trump taxed China in February. Bessent later said that the overall level of tariffs in both directions amounted to a de facto “unsustainable” trade embargo.
Prior to the talks, Bescent lowered expectations for a major economic and trade deal. He said the consultation focuses on reducing tariffs in both directions, creating space for long-term negotiations as well as the US trade deficit.
The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid of the Chinese Communist Party, repeatedly called out Beijing from the US on Saturday, lowering tariffs and laying the foundation for the talks.
“The United States should prepare and take action on issues such as correcting wrong practices and lifting unilateral tariffs,” the country’s Commerce Department said.
The resolution is “a hinge on whether Washington can demonstrate the integrity necessary for consultation,” the Global Times said.
“To unlock the bell, you need someone who tied it,” he replied in Chinese. This means that the person who created the problem is responsible for solving it. But Trump says he is willing to unilaterally reduce tariffs.
Beijing is also concerned about the US trade contract with the UK, which Washington first hit after imposing “mutual” tariffs on its partners last month.
As part of the agreement, the UK has accepted strict US security requirements for the steel and pharmaceutical industry, which diplomats consider to be a template that can be used to remove China from other countries’ strategic supply chains.
China’s trade data in April showed that international commerce remains resilient despite US tariffs, primarily due to the large number of cargoes to third countries, particularly due to shipments to parts of Southeast Asia known as conduits to China.
Before the US took good care of its actions, including cutting tariffs, some officials had a few weeks of debate in Beijing about the best way to manage Trump’s demands, according to two people who were explained about the debate before agreeing to a weekend trade talks.
One of the people said that some officials are also concerned about the signals they will send to other countries if Beijing decides to negotiate.
Chinese officials are most concerned that the US will push its allies and form a new trade order without it.
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This week, China set an example from India for its support of the US in its Indian trade, sought to impose an anti-dumping obligation of up to 166.2% on imports of Indian pesticide cyperamethrine.
Aside from tackling the dumping, the lawsuit was intended to warn other countries not to use China in trade negotiations with China as a negotiation tip with the US, said Yu Yuan Tantian, a social media account associated with China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
It pointed to New Delhi’s decision to impose a temporary 12% tariff on steel imported last month. China is the “main goal” on the same day that US Vice President JD Vance visited India.
“Many analysts point out that India’s move is likely to respond to the US crackdown on China’s manufacturing,” Yuyuan Tantian said.
