As top officials from the U.S. and China prepare for the first major face-to-face negotiations amid the ongoing trade war this weekend in Geneva, Beijing has warned against any attempt to use dialogue as a tool of "coercion and extortion."
What Happened: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet China's Vice-Premier He Lifeng from May 9 to 12, the Trump administration announced this week.
After confirming the upcoming talks, China's commerce ministry issued a separate statement to stress that Beijing agreed to the discussions only after "taking into full account global expectations, China's interests, and the appeals of U.S. industries and consumers."
Why It Matters: The statement warned that if the U.S. uses dialogue "as a tactic for further coercion," China will not bow down.
"If the US says one thing but does another, or even uses talks as a smokescreen to continue coercion and extortion, China will never accept it, nor will it compromise its principles or sacrifice international fairness and justice just to reach any agreement," the statement added, according to the South China Morning Post.
The meeting could emerge as a turning point in a tense trade landscape, with the U.S. slapping tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliating with 125% duties on American goods.
A recent poll indicates that the trade war has impacted President Donald Trump‘s approval ratings among young Americans who are dissatisfied with rising prices brought forth by tariffs.
Earlier this week, Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman shared his belief that the U.S. trade dispute will ease soon, calling the tariffs "a one-time reset," not a trigger for sustained inflation.
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