Trade talks between China and the United States began Sunday in Madrid, according to Chinese state media and the Spanish government.
The discussions, set to run until Wednesday, bring together U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and senior Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, to address economic and trade issues, notably the case of TikTok, both sides confirmed.
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China’s Xinhua News Agency reported from Madrid that “the Chinese and American delegations met here Sunday to hold talks on economic and trade issues.”
Trade relations between Beijing and Washington have experienced sharp fluctuations since the beginning of 2025, with each side imposing escalating tariffs on the other. At one point this year, reciprocal tariffs reached triple-digit levels, disrupting supply chains.
Since then, however, the two countries have reached an agreement to ease tensions, temporarily reducing tariffs to 30% on the U.S. side and 10% on the Chinese side. In August, both nations postponed higher tariff hikes for an additional 90 days, until November 10.
The talks are also expected to cover the dispute over TikTok. China on Friday urged the United States to resolve their differences over the platform through dialogue.
The deadline to secure a non-Chinese buyer for the widely used app, or face a U.S. ban, is September 17, after President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a third time. A federal law requiring the sale or banning of TikTok on national security grounds had originally been scheduled to take effect the day before Trump’s inauguration in January.
In a statement Friday, China’s Ministry of Commerce called on Washington to “work with China on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation to address each other’s concerns through dialogue and find a solution to the problem.”
The Spanish government confirmed that the talks began Sunday at the Palacio de Santa Cruz, the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry.
— AFP
