Trade war: US-China trade talks in London next week; Trump says 'meeting should go very well'

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are all set to meet officials in London on Monday for trade negotiations, President Donald Trump announced on Friday.

"The meeting should go very well," the president wrote on Truth Social on Friday afternoon. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Trump disclosed the planned trade discussions following an extensive telephonic conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

This scheduling update emerged amid ongoing tensions between the US and China, as both nations navigate through a significant trade dispute affecting their economies.

The two nations, whose combined goods trade reached $582 billion last year, recently reduced most reciprocal tariffs after successful trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, last month.

However, China has since expressed concerns about American actions undermining the progress.

Beijing voiced opposition to the US Commerce Department's advisory against using Chinese semiconductors.

Additionally, China criticised the Trump administration's decision to cancel certain Chinese students' visas in the US
Conversely, the Trump administration claims Beijing is delaying its Geneva commitment to authorise additional rare earth mineral exports to the United States.

Following Thursday's conversation with Xi, Trump stated, "There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products." No further clarification was provided.

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