Top Trump officials will meet with China amid trade war

[anatta]

not trade talks but "de-escalation" of the rhetoric. Also China seems to be walking back it's demands that tariffs be dropped prior to trade talks, but these are high level meetings / "engagements"

Top Trump officials will meet with China amid trade war

The U.S.-China meetings could mark a key moment as the two countries face steep tariffs on each other's goods.

www.cbsnews.com

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will also travel to Switzerland this week, where he will meet with China's "lead representative on economic matters." The statement didn't identify who he would speak with, but Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Bessent will meet with Vice Premier He Lifeng.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will "meet with his counterpart from the People's Republic of China to discuss trade matters" during a trip to Switzerland, his office said in a statement.

 

[Airyaman]

Country who starts trade war says

 

[anatta]

Country who starts trade war says

View attachment 67568723

not exactly a newsflash statement. long term "sky high" tariffs are not sustainable

 

[Crakhobarbie]

not exactly a newsflash statement. long term "sky high" tariffs are not sustainable

If you had any shame, you'd be so embarrassed.

 

[Airyaman]

not exactly a newsflash statement. long term "sky high" tariffs are not sustainable

Yes.

Who started the trade war?

 

[phoenix2020]

I like how just days ago @anatta was telling us with great excitement how desperate China is to ink a deal. Now it’s clear that they are not even bothering to pick up the phone. China has been very clear, Trump de-escalates first then maybe they’ll talk. Meanwhile they are inking details left and right. And Donald? He claims to have 200 deals “done” but can’t point to one.

 

[Mr Person]

not trade talks but "de-escalation" of the rhetoric. Also China seems to be walking back it's demands that tariffs be dropped prior to trade talks, but these are high level meetings / "engagements"

Top Trump officials will meet with China amid trade war

The U.S.-China meetings could mark a key moment as the two countries face steep tariffs on each other's goods.

www.cbsnews.com

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will also travel to Switzerland this week, where he will meet with China's "lead representative on economic matters." The statement didn't identify who he would speak with, but Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Bessent will meet with Vice Premier He Lifeng.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will "meet with his counterpart from the People's Republic of China to discuss trade matters" during a trip to Switzerland, his office said in a statement.

I can only hope that the most narcisstic assclown of the greatest proportions in history sends underlings who can figure out a way to hand him some meaningless concessions about which he can declare victory, fold, sit down, and figure out what to break next.

 

[phoenix2020]

If you had any shame, you'd be so embarrassed.

A summary of the chain of threads that led us here:

May 1, mass unrest in China, they’re gonna crack any day now.

Protests by unpaid Chinese workers spread amid factory closures

https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2025/04/29/china-us-tariff-protests-workers-wages/ Across the country – from Hunan province’s Dao county in central China to Sichuan’s Suining city in the southwest and Inner Mongolia’s Tongliao city to the northeast – hundreds of disgruntled workers have taken...

debatepolitics.com

May 1, so much for falling apart, just a few hours later now they are merely open to talks.

China signals opening for trade talks with US

https://www.ft.com/content/e6e66a65-7a9e-4aa5-85a2-e223ca487398 Chinese state media has said there would be “no harm” in holding trade talks with the Trump administration, indicating a softening of Beijing’s position as both sides look for a way out of their crushing tariff war. The gesture...

debatepolitics.com

May 2, China is now merely evaluating the possibility that talks could exist someday.

China's Trade Talks Overtures

Original article by WSJ on China offering fentanly concessions to start trade talks https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-05-02/china-hints-at-possible-thaw-with-us-in-trade-talks-video Beijing is considering a Fentanyl offer to the US and potentially offering an off-ramp from hostilities...

debatepolitics.com

May 4, oh wait we’re back to China is falling apart and retreating as fast as possible and desperate for talks.

China is losing the tariffs war and retreating as fast as it can

some empirical data https://nypost.com/2025/05/03/opinion/despite-their-denials-china-is-losing-the-tariffs-war/ The Korean press has confirmed that “the United States and China have begun behind-the-scenes contact in relation to the ‘tariff war,’ ” and a high-ranking Chinese delegation was...

debatepolitics.com

May 6, I guess they weren’t so desperate because now not only are there no talks, but they have been downgraded to “engagements” that may or may not happen. But there could be a meeting about something. Maybe over coffee.

Top Trump officials will meet with China amid trade war

not trade talks but "de-escalation" of the rhetoric. Also China seems to be walking back it's demands that tariffs be dropped prior to trade talks, but these are high level meetings / "engagements" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-china-trade-war-meeting/ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will...

debatepolitics.com

I really do feel bad for the OP. So desperate to make Donald look good, yet failing so badly on every front. Each thread only serving to highlight how incompetent Trump is.

 

[ElChupacabra]

Country who starts trade war says

View attachment 67568723

Gee, I wonder why this wasn't a consideration of the current US president before he initiated a trade war instead of opening channels of communication with China first to address his grievances.


Important life tip Donnie Boy: don't start a fight you can't finish.

 

[dmpi]

Trump's not a political hack who thinks winning and saving face is everything. Trump, the master of 'the art of the deal' knows when to be firm and and when to be diplomatic and gentle. These talks are framed so that both sides can claim victory and show that they're both actively working on the problem. This important meeting is just step one in reaching a final resolution.

 

[phoenix2020]

Gee, I wonder why this wasn't a consideration of the current US president before he initiated a trade war instead of opening channels of communication with China first to address his grievances.


Important life tip Donnie Boy: don't start a fight you can't finish.

Worry not, like every other fight he’s picked in life, he’ll eventually settle.

 

[maxparrish]

Trump's not a political hack who thinks winning and saving face is everything. Trump, the master of 'the art of the deal' knows when to be firm and and when to be diplomatic and gentle. These talks are framed so that both sides can claim victory and show that they're both actively working on the problem. This important meeting is just step one in reaching a final resolution.

I always appreciate satire.

 

[ElChupacabra]

not exactly a newsflash statement. long term "sky high" tariffs are not sustainable

They're not, which is why it's curious this administration started a trade war with the world's second largest economy, and one with whom the US is dependent on for a variety of goods, never made sense without even attempting to negotiate.

 

[ElChupacabra]

I always appreciate satire.

The unintentional variety is even more delicious.

 

[Grand Mal]

Trump's not a political hack who thinks winning and saving face is everything. Trump, the master of 'the art of the deal' knows when to be firm and and when to be diplomatic and gentle. These talks are framed so that both sides can claim victory and show that they're both actively working on the problem. This important meeting is just step one in reaching a final resolution.

Gawd, what a hoot!
Did you keep a straight face while you typed this?

 

[Airyaman]

Trump's not a political hack who thinks winning and saving face is everything. Trump, the master of 'the art of the deal' knows when to be firm and and when to be diplomatic and gentle. These talks are framed so that both sides can claim victory and show that they're both actively working on the problem. This important meeting is just step one in reaching a final resolution.

 

[anatta]

They're not, which is why it's curious this administration started a trade war with the world's second largest economy, and one with whom the US is dependent on for a variety of goods, never made sense without even attempting to negotiate.

China would not negotiate for Phase 1 without tariffs either (if memory serves). why should they? Malign trade has served them well .
IP theft, SOE subsidized and dumping, de facto closed markets or forced Patent data sharing for Chinese join ventures. etc

Add to that the industrial espionage, and their superior economic posturing with soft power, and they are formidable strategic enemy.
China growls and then makes gestures of offering progress. Which is about where relations are now.

PS we need a bilateral trade agreement with China considering how many cases we have won arbitration at the WTO....to no economic recovery

 

[ElChupacabra]

Worry not, like every other fight he’s picked in life, he’ll eventually settle.

 

[ElChupacabra]

China would not negotiate for Phase 1 without tariffs either (if memory serves). why should they? Malign trade has served them well .
IP theft, SOE subsidized and dumping, de facto closed markets or forced Patent data sharing for Chinese join ventures. etc

Add to that the industrial espionage, and their superior economic posturing with soft power, and they are formidable strategic enemy.
China growls and then makes gestures of offering progress. Which is about where relations are now.

PS we need a bilateral trade agreement with China considering how many cases we have won arbitration at the WTO....to no economic recovery

Did the administration even try? Heck, they didn't bother trying with anyone else either, since they chose to go with Trump's idiotic idea of everyone having to grovel before him.

 

[Mycroft]

They're not, which is why it's curious this administration started a trade war with the world's second largest economy, and one with whom the US is dependent on for a variety of goods, never made sense without even attempting to negotiate.

I was going to respond to this...you know, the usual "Where have you been? Why haven't you been listening?" thing. But @anatta beat me to it and worded it much better than I would have...and he didn't even have to say what I was going to say.

 

[anatta]

Did the administration even try? Heck, they didn't bother trying with anyone else either, since they chose to go with Trump's idiotic idea of everyone having to grovel before him.

i gave you the reason Trump went with tariffs on China, instead of sitting around a table talking about talking. Time is on China's side-
especially if a Dem would become POTUS..I agree tariffs should have been targeted, and in Canada's case use the USMCA disputes process.
not tariffs except the existing ones

Trump is too enamored of tariffs as a US revenue source. Someone should ask him if he understands revenues go the the USA/same as taxes.
However tariffs do lead to trade talks. Hopefully the point of all this angst

 

[ElChupacabra]

I was going to respond to this...you know, the usual "Where have you been? Why haven't you been listening?" thing. But @anatta beat me to it and worded it much better than I would have...and he didn't even have to say what I was going to say.

Ah, so the usual empty handed presence at the dinner party. Perhaps you can shed some light on the efforts the administration made to negotiate before launching a trade war they're not trying to deescalate.

 

[anatta]

I was going to respond to this...you know, the usual "Where have you been? Why haven't you been listening?" thing. But @anatta beat me to it and worded it much better than I would have...and he didn't even have to say what I was going to say.

a lot of this has been said before in one form or another.. we just did this Chinese trade dance under Trump 45. we know their steps

 

[Mycroft]

i gave you the reason Trump went with tariffs on China, instead of sitting around a table talking about talking. Time is on China's side-
especially if a Dem would become POTUS..I agree tariffs should have been targeted, and in Canada's case use the USMCA disputes process.
not tariffs except the existing ones

Trump is too enamored of tariffs as a US revenue source. Someone should ask him if he understands revenues go the the USA/same as taxes.
However tariffs do lead to trade talks. Hopefully the point of all this angst

Of course Trump understands. He knows he has the US in a win-win position.

 

[maxparrish]

A summary of the chain of threads that led us here:

May 1, mass unrest in China, they’re gonna crack any day now.

Protests by unpaid Chinese workers spread amid factory closures

https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2025/04/29/china-us-tariff-protests-workers-wages/ Across the country – from Hunan province’s Dao county in central China to Sichuan’s Suining city in the southwest and Inner Mongolia’s Tongliao city to the northeast – hundreds of disgruntled workers have taken...

debatepolitics.com

May 1, so much for falling apart, just a few hours later now they are merely open to talks.

China signals opening for trade talks with US

https://www.ft.com/content/e6e66a65-7a9e-4aa5-85a2-e223ca487398 Chinese state media has said there would be “no harm” in holding trade talks with the Trump administration, indicating a softening of Beijing’s position as both sides look for a way out of their crushing tariff war. The gesture...

debatepolitics.com

May 2, China is now merely evaluating the possibility that talks could exist someday.

China's Trade Talks Overtures

Original article by WSJ on China offering fentanly concessions to start trade talks https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-05-02/china-hints-at-possible-thaw-with-us-in-trade-talks-video Beijing is considering a Fentanyl offer to the US and potentially offering an off-ramp from hostilities...

debatepolitics.com

May 4, oh wait we’re back to China is falling apart and retreating as fast as possible and desperate for talks.

China is losing the tariffs war and retreating as fast as it can

some empirical data https://nypost.com/2025/05/03/opinion/despite-their-denials-china-is-losing-the-tariffs-war/ The Korean press has confirmed that “the United States and China have begun behind-the-scenes contact in relation to the ‘tariff war,’ ” and a high-ranking Chinese delegation was...

debatepolitics.com

May 6, I guess they weren’t so desperate because now not only are there no talks, but they have been downgraded to “engagements” that may or may not happen. But there could be a meeting about something. Maybe over coffee.

Top Trump officials will meet with China amid trade war

not trade talks but "de-escalation" of the rhetoric. Also China seems to be walking back it's demands that tariffs be dropped prior to trade talks, but these are high level meetings / "engagements" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-china-trade-war-meeting/ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will...

debatepolitics.com

I really do feel bad for the OP. So desperate to make Donald look good, yet failing so badly on every front. Each thread only serving to highlight how incompetent Trump is.

The lack of realism in writing melodrama makes it what it is, pure theatre. If one was to be realistic one would know that rebuilding trade deals after blowing them up takes time sometimes years before even the first phase and evaluation period of an agreement is reached. For example, after Trump took office, he announced that he wanted a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico ASAP. It took nine months to even start negotiations (the first round), and it took nearly 16 months before it was completed and signed.

But it took ANOTHER 19- or 20-months more before it amendments were finalized and it was fully ratified and entered into force - in 2020.

So, it didn't last but 3 1/2 years for Trump to start kicking his crib and screaming again.

Mind you, this is an extremely quick timeline (the TPP trade agreement that Trump trashed took seven years to negotiate and implement).

All these fireworks the OP author (and others) love to post are painfully ignorant and more interested in cheerleading and/or booing than facing reality: it will take YEARS to undo Trump's reckless destruction ... he broke it again and given he failed the first time to create something lasting with any of three trading partners so he isn't the one to fix his own mistakes.

In a sane universe he would have stayed fired and be selling golf shoes for a living. But then, half the country are muttonheads.