By: Sunday Ameh
China on Thursday announced that it will hold another round of trade talks with the United States in Malaysia as the world’s two largest economies seek to de-escalate rising trade tensions.
According to a statement released by Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce, Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead a high-level Chinese delegation to Malaysia from October 24 to 27 to engage U.S. officials in “economic and trade discussions.”
The statement added that both nations had agreed to resume direct consultations aimed at addressing major issues affecting their trade and investment relations.
The development comes amid renewed strains between Beijing and Washington following China’s recent imposition of export controls on critical rare earth minerals, a move that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten a 100 per cent tariff on imports from China.
The White House, however, has said President Trump remains optimistic about achieving what he described as a “good and fair deal” with Beijing to end the prolonged trade impasse.
The Chinese commerce ministry noted that the talks in Malaysia would cover “important issues in the economic and trade relationship between China and the United States,” signaling a possible thaw in relations after months of tit-for-tat tariff actions.
The upcoming meeting is also expected to pave the way for a bilateral engagement between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
Observers say the outcome of the Malaysia talks could have significant implications for global trade, particularly as both countries continue to vie for dominance in advanced technology and manufacturing sectors.
Leave a Reply