President Donald Trump has expressed a more conciliatory tone toward China in upcoming trade negotiations, signaling a potential shift from his previously hardline stance.
Speaking in Washington, Trump stated that tariffs could decrease substantially if a trade agreement is reached, although he clarified they wouldn’t be completely abolished.
He emphasized mutual cooperation, remarking, “We’re going to be very nice, and they’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the unsustainability of the ongoing trade tensions, further reflecting the administration’s changing approach.
However, Beijing insists on setting clear parameters for negotiations before its leaders engage directly with Trump.
These developments have injected optimism into global markets, with Chinese stocks closing 2.1% higher in Hong Kong and the yuan appreciating 0.2% against the dollar.
Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at Natixis, remarked, “Trump is panicking due to the markets plummeting. China does not need to offer anything significant in such circumstances.”
During a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Xi stressed the detrimental impact of tariff wars on the rights and interests of all nations.