Chinese officials together with US representatives met in Geneva during the weekend to address growing trade tensions which have caused worldwide market instability. The secret meeting conducted under strict security measures brought together Chinese vice premier He Lifeng and US treasury secretary Scott Bessent for initial discussions about reducing tariffs instead of negotiating a full trade agreement.
The current trade war between the two nations has reached a critical point because imports face duties exceeding 100% while specific US tariffs on Chinese goods have reached 245%. China has implemented counter-tariffs that reach 125% to block all trade activities between these two major economic powers. The intensifying trade conflict has disrupted worldwide supply networks while creating financial market instability.
The World Trade Organization based in Geneva described the dialogue as a “constructive step” while director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala maintained a cautious optimistic view. The Chinese and US delegations entered the meeting site individually while police provided heavy security to prevent media access which sparked rumors about the discussion topics.
The Chinese government maintains that the United States needs to remove its tariffs first yet the Geneva meetings represent the beginning of a trade dispute resolution process. The two parties have stated their priority is to reduce tensions instead of achieving a complete settlement for the present time.
