‘Very constructive’: US hails China trade talks in KL before crucial meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The United States and China held “very constructive” trade talks in Malaysia today, a US Treasury spokesman said, ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between their leaders in South Korea next week.

“Today’s talks have concluded. They have been very constructive, and we expect them to resume in the morning,” the spokesman told AFP.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng at Merdeka 118 — the world’s second-tallest building.

The world’s two biggest economies are seeking to avoid further escalation of their damaging tit-for-tat tariff war, with US President Donald Trump expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea next Thursday.

Trump has said he hopes to strike a “good” deal with China and bring an end to the trade war, despite having previously threatened to cancel the meeting, which will be held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit starting on October 31.

Beijing announced sweeping controls on the critical rare earths industry earlier this month, prompting Trump to threaten 100 per cent tariffs on imports from China in retaliation.

The two countries have also begun imposing arrival fees on each other’s ships, following a US “Section 301” investigation that found Beijing’s dominance in the sector to be unreasonable. — AFP

[Source: Malay Mail]