Since the US president returned to the White House in January, his administration has imposed tariffs totalling 145 percent on goods from China, with some sector-specific measures stacked on top.
Beijing has retaliated with 125 percent levies on imports from the United States, along with more targeted measures.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer will attend the talks in Switzerland on behalf of the United States, their offices said.
Bessent told Fox News that the sides would hold meetings on Saturday and Sunday intended to lay the groundwork for future negotiations.
"We will agree what we're going to talk about. My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about the big trade deal," Bessent told "The Ingraham Angle" show.
"We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward," he added.
The talks will take place in Geneva, a spokesperson for the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to AFP.
Bern "welcomes the trust placed in Switzerland", they added.
Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend on Beijing's behalf, China's foreign ministry announced.
The commerce ministry in Beijing vowed the country would "defend justice" and stand by its principles during the talks.
"If the US wants to resolve the issue through negotiations, it must face up to the serious negative impact of unilateral tariff measures on itself and the world," a spokesperson said.
"If the US talks in one way and acts in another, or even attempts to continue to coerce and blackmail China under the guise of talks, China will never agree."
Beijing, the spokesperson vowed, would not "sacrifice its principled position and international fairness and justice to seek any agreement".
China's foreign ministry also said the talks were taking place at the "request of the United States" and that its position that Washington must lift tariffs was "unchanged".
"But any dialogue must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit. No form of pressure or coercion will not work on China," spokesman Lin Jian told a regular briefing.
The USTR announced that Greer would also meet "his counterpart from the People's Republic of China to discuss trade matters", without naming He.
The tit-for-tat tariffs have left the two nations with cripplingly high levies that have shocked financial markets and reportedly caused a sharp slowdown in bilateral trade.
"This isn't sustainable, as I have said before, especially on the Chinese side, 145 percent, 125 percent is the equivalent of an embargo. We don't want to decouple. What we want is fair trade," Bessent said.
US, Chinese officials to hold trade talks in Switzerland
Washington (AFP) May 6, 2025 -
Senior US and Chinese officials will travel to Switzerland later this week to kickstart stalled trade talks following President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff rollout, according to statements from both countries.
The talks mark the first official public engagement between the world's two largest economies to resolve a trade war escalated by Trump shortly after his return to office in January.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer will attend the talks on behalf of the United States, their offices said.
Bessent told Fox News that the sides would hold meetings on Saturday and Sunday intended to lay the groundwork for future negotiations.
"We will agree what we're going to talk about. My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about the big trade deal," Bessent told "The Ingraham Angle" show.
"We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward," he added.
Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend for Beijing, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
"Vice Premier He, as the Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, will have a meeting with the U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent," the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The USTR announced that Greer would also meet with "his counterpart from the People's Republic of China to discuss trade matters," without naming He.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, his administration has levied new tariffs totaling 145 percent on goods from China, with some sector-specific measures stacked on top.
Beijing retaliated by slapping 125 levies on US imports to China, along with more targeted measures.
The tit-for-tat tariffs have left the two nations with cripplingly high levies that have shocked financial markets and reportedly caused a sharp slowdown in bilateral trade.
"This isn't sustainable, as I have said before, especially on the Chinese side. 145 percent, 125 percent is the equivalent of an embargo. We don't want to decouple. What we want is fair trade," Bessent said.
China warns US tariff war 'huge risk' to world economy
Beijing (AFP) May 6, 2025 -
China's finance minister lashed out at the United States' tariffs for bringing "unprecedented huge risks" to the global economy, according to an article published by his ministry on Tuesday.
Separately, the Chinese foreign ministry said the United States needed to change its "threatening" approach if it wishes to reach an agreement, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
The world's two largest economies are engaged in a punishing trade war in which US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs reaching 145 percent on many Chinese products and Beijing retaliated with 125 percent duties on imports from the United States.
Lan Fo'an, speaking at an Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting in Milan that began on Sunday, did not specifically mention the United States but said the risks were the result of "a certain country (that) has launched tariff wars and trade wars".
"The current international situation is becoming more turbulent and chaotic, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise," he said, calling on ADB members to uphold the rules of multilateral institutions.
China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, speaking in a daily press briefing quoted by Xinhua, said: "If a negotiated solution is truly what the United States wants, it should stop threatening and exerting pressure, and seek dialogue with China based on equality, respect and mutual benefit."
Lin added: "China's position is consistent and clear: We will fight, if fight we must. Our doors are open, if the United States wants to talk."
China's commerce ministry raised hopes on Friday that there could be negotiations with the United States when it said it was "currently evaluating" a US offer of trade talks.
However, it insisted Washington must first cancel "unilateral tariffs" on China, a step Trump rejected in an interview with NBC recorded on Friday.
Trump said in the interview, which aired on Sunday, that China's economy was "collapsing".
Asked if he would drop tariffs to get China to the negotiating table, he said: "Why would I do that?"
Beijing has repeatedly pledged to fight a trade war "to the end" if needed. A video posted by its foreign ministry on social media last week vowed it would "never kneel down".
Both economies have been hit as the tariffs shook markets and roiled supply chains.
China's factory activity shrank in April, with Beijing blaming a "sharp shift" in the global economy.
Data showed last Wednesday that the US economy contracted in the first three months of the year as Trump's tariff plans triggered an import surge.
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