Stockholm has seen top U.S. and Chinese economic officials meet for over five hours to resolve longstanding economic disputes at the center of a trade war between the world’s top two economies. The talks aim to extend a truce by three months, as China faces an August 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration. Negotiators from both sides were seen exiting the office around 8 p.m. and did not stop to speak with reporters. The discussions are expected to resume on Tuesday.
Trump touched on the talks during a wide-ranging press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. He said he would love to see China open up their country, and without an agreement, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from U.S. duties snapping back to triple-digit levels that would amount to a bilateral trade embargo. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he did not expect “some kind of enormous breakthrough today” at the talks in Stockholm that he was attending.
Trade analysts said another 90-day extension of a tariff and export control truce struck in mid-May between China and the United States was likely. An extension would facilitate planning for a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in late October or early November. In Washington, U.S. senators from both major parties plan to introduce bills this week targeting China over its treatment of minority groups, dissidents, and Taiwan, emphasizing security and human rights, which could complicate talks in Stockholm.
