US, China resume trade talks in Malaysia ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
Top negotiators from the United States and China have resumed trade discussions in Malaysia as both sides work toward progress before an anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The talks, which began on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, continued into Sunday as Trump embarked on a three-nation Asia tour that includes a bilateral meeting with Xi. The renewed discussions come on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which officially opened Sunday.
China’s delegation is led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, while the US team is headed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The latest round marks the fifth meeting between the two sides, following earlier sessions in Geneva, London, Stockholm, and Madrid.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said both countries were nearing a breakthrough that could be presented to their respective leaders.
“We’re getting to a point where we have something we can present to the leaders for their consideration,” Greer told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
In August, Washington and Beijing agreed to extend a temporary truce on tariffs until November 10 — the third such pause since Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent before later easing them. Beijing, in turn, imposed duties of up to 125 percent on American products.
Greer confirmed that the latest discussions covered a wide range of issues, including rare earth materials and potential extensions of the tariff truce.
“We talked about extending the truce, we talked about rare earths, of course, we talked about all kinds of topics. I think we’re getting to a spot where the leaders will have a very productive meeting this coming week,” he said.
The negotiators reportedly met for more than five hours on Saturday.
Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur as ASEAN commenced its 47th summit, making him the third US president to visit Malaysia. He is expected to meet President Xi in South Korea later in the week.
