Kuwait City: High-level trade talks between the United States and China commenced on Saturday morning in Geneva, hosted by the Swiss government. This significant meeting took place amidst a notable media silence from both delegations.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the talks began earlier today in Geneva, bringing together U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accompanied by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party's Central Committee and Beijing's lead official on economic and trade issues with Washington.
Both nations had previously declared, through separate statements, their intentions to travel to Switzerland for these bilateral discussions at the invitation of the Swiss government. The negotiations are anticipated to proceed through Sunday, with both Washington and Beijing expected to issue press statements outlining the outcomes of the talks, as per responses from both delegations received by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
In a related development, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter emphasized the significance of the USA-China talks during a press conference on Friday. She noted that the discussions occur amidst heightened tensions between the two global powers, tensions that have notably impacted the global economy. President Keller-Sutter also revealed that she and her deputy, Economy Minister Guy Parmelin, conducted separate bilateral meetings with the USA and Chinese delegations to discuss bilateral economic relations, describing these exchanges as "productive."
The trade relations between the USA and China have been strained since former President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them to as high as 145 percent. In retaliation, China increased tariffs on U.S. goods, with some tariffs reaching 125 percent.