（来源：《环球时报》，2025-06-08）

China US

Chinese Vice Premier was scheduled to set off for London on Sunday, where the Chinese side will hold the first meeting of the economic and trade consultation mechanism with the US side, according to a diplomatic schedule published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday. A Chinese expert noted that any substantive outcomes of the negotiations will hinge on Washington demonstrating "genuine goodwill" and taking concrete steps to address China's concerns.

The upcoming meeting in London will be the second meeting between Chinese and US officials since their talks in mid-May in Geneva.

At the invitation of the UK government, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will visit the UK from June 8 to 13. While in the UK, he will hold the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism with the US side, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson in a notice posted on the ministry's website on Saturday evening.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent the US in the talks, US President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday without providing further details, Reuters reported.

The London meeting between China and the US can further clarify the differences existing in previous bilateral talks in Geneva, Song Guoyou, a deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"This showcases that the two sides are gradually tackling a series of issues in the economic and trade fields through continuous negotiations," Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Foreign media is closely monitoring the developments of the upcoming meeting between Chinese and US officials in London, with current coverage showing a mix of optimism and caution.

"US-China trade talks in London this week are expected to take up a series of fresh disputes that have buffeted relations, threatening a fragile truce over tariffs," the Associated Press (AP) reported on Sunday.

AP said that technology is a major sticking point. "US Commerce Secretary Lutnick wasn't in Geneva but will join the talks in London. Analysts say that suggests at least a willingness on the US side to hear out China's concerns on export controls," said AP.

A Bloomberg report also said that the inclusion of Lutnick in the new round of talks may signal that "Trump is willing to reconsider some of the technology curbs that threaten to hobble China's long-term growth ambitions."

CNN said the talks in the UK are significant, and much is riding on their success - US economic growth remains steady but there are signs of cracking. And no one wants to return to April's standoff, which threatened to plunge the global economy into a recession, CNN said.

The New York Times said that "the talks come at a fragile moment for the global economy, which has been slowed by uncertainty and supply chain disruptions." It also pointed out that as the US delegation meets in London, the Trump administration has a deadline to make its case to a federal appeals court for why the tariffs should continue.

The temporarily paused tariffs, as well as steep import taxes on Chinese goods, were thrust into further uncertainty in late May, when a US trade court deemed them illegal. The tariffs, however, currently remain in place while an appeal process unfolds, New York Times said.

Mixed signals

The upcoming London talks came after a phone conversation on Thursday between the leaders of both nations.

"The US loves to have Chinese students coming to study in America," Trump said during the phone talks, according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Apart from the student visa, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on Saturday responded to concerns over China's export controls on rare earths.

"China is reviewing export license applications for rare earths and related items in line with laws and regulations, and has approved a number of compliant applications, and will continue to strengthen the approval process for such applications," said the MOFCOM spokesperson.

China is ready to enhance communication and dialogue with relevant countries on export control policies to facilitate convenient and compliant trade, the spokesperson said.

Despite some positive signs, Chinese experts stressed that the current tariff levels remain high, and the US suppression of Chinese chips continues. These tariffs and suppressions are not in the interests of either China or the US.

A Ningbo-based suitcase export company told the Global Times on Sunday that the current tariff levels on Chinese exports, after the Geneva talks, are still too high for Chinese exporters and US importers, and they hope that the tariff rates could be lower. Currently, exports to the US account for nearly half of the company's total exports.

"Our factory in the Southeast Asia started production this month. But the production costs in the overseas factory are about 1.5 times higher than in China, meaning that our US importers have to import at higher prices, which will be paid by US customers," said the company.

"As a frontline practitioner of trade, I witnessed that our US importers are eagerly waiting for Chinese supplies, especially for many small- and medium-sized companies, which are at risk of lacking materials imported from China," Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, an exporter of home furnishing products, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Meanwhile, opposition against tariffs is growing within the US.

As one of the latest major oppositions, a US trade court ruling on May 28 blocked the US President's sweeping tariffs under an emergency-powers law, following lawsuits from five small US businesses and 12 states, according to Xinhua. These businesses argued that tariffs increased costs, disrupted supply chains, and harmed competitiveness.

Not only were US firms affected. The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) said in an April report that escalating tariffs and trade restrictions are pummeling the sales and stock prices of Silicon Valley's NVIDIA and the Dutch ASML.

In fact, lowered tariffs by the US are widely welcomed. This can be seen from a rise in global confidence after China and the US released a joint statement on trade after the Geneva talks on May 12, where the two sides announced a series of tariff modification measures aimed at easing trade tensions.

CNN underscores that markets rallied, Wall Street banks curtailed their recession forecasts, and moribund US consumer confidence rebounded significantly, showing a "significant change from April, when tensions ran so high that trade between the US and China came to an effective halt."

'US sincerity a foundation'

China has shown persistent sincerity in implementing the Geneva joint statement. China has always kept its word and strived to fulfill its commitments, experts noted.

He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Sunday that China's stance has been consistent: maintaining cooperation while resolving differences through equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, which is also a reflection of the Geneva spirit.

"We hope the London talks will adhere to these principles and achieve further substantive results. However, specific outcomes are hard to predict at this stage as much will depend on the sincerity of the US side and its willingness to take concrete action," said He Weiwen.

"The economic and trade negotiations between China and the US must emphasize the themes of respecting equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. Currently, the US still has a sense of self-superiority and unhealthy thinking that restricts the development rights and space of its negotiating counterparts,'' Li said.

Li's remarks were a comment on the US government's suspension of licenses that allowed American suppliers to ship parts and equipment for nuclear power plants to China, as reported by Reuters on Saturday, citing sources.

The US also imposed restrictions on export of products including chips, aero engines, and the suspension of ethane exports to China, according to multiple media reports.

He Weiwen also emphasized that now it hinges on Washington's sincerity - whether it will take real action to repeal these tariffs and restrictions, which violate WTO rules in the first place.

The expert stressed that resolving trade disputes must be a two-way street. The expert urged the US to adopt an approach grounded in "equality, respect, and mutual benefit," avoiding abrupt unilateral moves.