China and the United States diverged on the timing for another pause on tariff increases.
The Chinese side did not announce any breakthroughs or specify the duration of the extension after the of discussions that marked a third round of high-level trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.
“According to the consensus between China and the US, both sides will continue to push for the continued extension of the pause on the 24 per cent part of the reciprocal tariffs on the US side as well as the countermeasures on the Chinese side”, Li Chenggang, China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce, said after the negotiations concluded on Tuesday.
In a separate press briefing held about an hour later, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the talks as “constructive” and “wide-ranging”. He said that nothing would be agreed upon until American negotiators “speak” with President Donald Trump, who is now on his way back to the US from a visit to Scotland.
“I notice … that the Chinese deputy minister did say that we had agreed on a pause,” Bessent said. “We have not. Nothing is agreed until we speak with President Trump.”
