Chinese and US officials met in Geneva
U.S. and Chinese Officials Begin Trade Talks in Geneva Amid Escalating Tariff Tensions
Senior officials from the United States and China began trade negotiations in Geneva on Saturday,following weeks of rising tensions and reciprocal tariff impositions that have disrupted the global economy.
According to a report by the international economics desk of Webangah News Agency, citing The Guardian, China’s state media and informed sources confirmed that high-ranking U.S. and Chinese officials met in Geneva to de-escalate a trade war destabilizing world markets.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S.Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent held talks as tensions surged in recent weeks, with import tariffs between the two economic giants exceeding 100%. The exact location of the closed-door meeting was undisclosed, though an eyewitness reported over 12 police vehicles stationed outside a private residence in one of Geneva’s affluent suburbs.
This trade conflict—compounded by former U.S.president Donald Trump’s decision last month to impose tariffs on imports from dozens of countries—has disrupted global supply chains, rattled financial markets, and stoked fears of a severe worldwide recession. On Friday, Trump stated that an 80% tariff on Chinese goods “seems appropriate,” marking his first explicit alternative to current rates as high as 145%.
Around 9:30 AM local time on Saturday, Bassent arrived at the InterContinental Hotel lobby alongside U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and approximately twelve delegation members before departing without addressing reporters. The chinese delegation left separately from another hotel—the President Wilson by Lake Geneva—with large police escorts blocking roads for both motorcades across the city. By midday, chinese state media confirmed multi-day weekend talks had begun.
Since January, cumulative tariffs on China—Asia’s industrial powerhouse—have reached 145%, with some U.S.-imposed duties on specific goods soaring to an amazing 245%. In retaliation, China has levied a 125% tariff on American imports, creating near-sanction conditions in bilateral trade relations.Beijing insists Washington must first lift tariffs, vowing to defend it’s interests while Bassent clarified talks aim only at reducing tensions rather than securing a “major trade deal.”
The Director-General of the World trade Organization (WTO), headquartered in Geneva,welcomed negotiations as “a positive step toward de-escalation” during remarks Friday.
