Chinese, U.S. negotiators to hold fourth round of trade talks in Madrid
發佈日期: 2025-09-14 19:47
TVB News
The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing has declared an anti-dumping probe into certain analog IC chips originating from the United States, as well as a separate anti-discrimination investigation into U.S. measures against China's chip sector.
The announcements were made ahead of planned trade talks between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Madrid.
The ministry said topics such as U.S. tariffs, the "abuse" of export controls, and TikTok will be discussed.
According to Vice Premier He's office, the talks hosted by Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will take place between Sunday and Wednesday, in a bid to ease trade tensions and postpone the enactment of steeper tariffs on each other's goods.
Sources say U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will also be present.
The U.S. Treasury signalled a range of economic and trade issues would be high on the agenda, including joint efforts to combat money laundering and a Wednesday deadline for short video app TikTok to divest its U.S. assets.
Negotiators from the two sides previously held three in-person discussions in Europe this year.
Bessent called the last round of talks in Stockholm "very fulsome," saying they sought to balance the relationship and de-risk with certain, strategic industries, whether it's the rare earths, semiconductors, or medicines.
While the current U.S. tariff rates on Chinese goods, totalling about 55 percent, have been extended until November 10th, Bessent on Friday urged G7 countries to enact "meaningful tariffs" on imports from China and India to increase pressure on their purchases of Russian oil.
He and Greer noted in a separate statement that they will be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing only with a unified effort that cuts off funding for Putin's war machine at the source.
Such measures were discussed by G7 finance ministers who agreed to speed up discussions to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's defence.
Meanwhile, analysts think chances are slim that a substantial breakthrough will come out of the Madrid talks.
Some suggested one of the most likely "deliverables" would be a fourth extension of TikTok's sale-or-ban deadline.
A former USTR trade negotiator said she expects more outcomes to be saved for a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this year.
She said the Madrid talks could pave the way for a final deal to address the alleged national security concerns over TikTok, cuts in fentanyl-related tariffs on China, as well as a lifting of restrictions on China's purchases of U.S. soybeans.
