US-China meeting in London aims to resolve disputes: White House
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The United States and China will hold key trade talks in London, focusing on export controls and rare earth minerals. Officials from both sides are expected to work toward resolving ongoing trade disputes.
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The U.S. and China national flags wave as a person passes by in the Chinatown area in New York, Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (AP)
The United States anticipates that its trade discussions with China in London will be brief, as both sides are expected to address export control issues efficiently, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Monday, suggesting that an agreement could be reached with relative ease.
The US and China are holding trade talks in London on Monday, with negotiations likely extending into the evening and possibly continuing on Tuesday, according to a Bloomberg report.
The United States emphasized that the key objective of the ongoing discussions is to verify China's commitment to resolving trade issues, with top US trade officials seeking concrete assurances from their counterparts that would allow both nations to move past the current disputes, according to Hassett's remarks to CNBC. The negotiations involve the Treasury, Commerce, and Trade Representative officials.
The White House anticipates that once the current trade discussions wrap up and the issue of export controls is settled, both sides will shift their focus to addressing less contentious trade matters, according to the economic adviser's statement.
"So our expectation is that after the handshake, immediately after the handshake, any export controls from the US will be eased and the rare earths will be released in volume," Hasset added.
US-China trade talks in London
US President Donald Trump announced on June 6 that top American trade officials would be meeting with Chinese representatives in London on June 9, intending to work through the ongoing trade disputes between the two nations, as the administration seeks to make progress on resolving key economic disagreements.
The composition of the Chinese delegation remains uncertain as the Chinese embassy in Washington has not provided clarification regarding the participants. The Chinese vice-premier, He Lifeng, arrived to the United Kingdom on June 8 for a six-day official visit, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
President Trump expressed optimism about the upcoming discussions in a written statement anticipating positive outcomes from the meeting.
Scheduled just a day after President Donald Trump engaged in a rare direct phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the meeting is set to take place against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions and an intensifying dispute over critical minerals.
Mounting pressure on both sides to de-escalate comes as the global economy continues to feel the strain from China’s stronghold over rare earth mineral exports, which are essential for a wide range of modern technologies, while investors remain wary amid President Trump’s broader efforts to impose tariffs on products from major US trading partners
At the same time, China faces mounting challenges due to restrictions on critical US imports, including advanced chip-design software that plays a central role in its technological ambitions and broader industrial strategy.
