（来源：《环球时报》，2025-09-15）

The Chinese and US delegations convened in Madrid on Sunday for talks on economic and trade issues, the Xinhua News Agency reported. In the coming days, the two sides will discuss issues such as the US unilateral tariff measures, the abuse of export controls and TikTok, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The Chinese delegation is headed by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, according to Xinhua.

On Sunday afternoon local time, a CGTN video reported that the Chinese delegation, headed by He, arrived by car at the Santa Cruz Palace in Madrid for trade discussions with the US. CGTN footage showed media assembling outside the venue, with cameras flashing.

China's position on the TikTok issue is clear and consistent, the spokesperson said. China is firmly committed to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and will handle the TikTok issue in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

As agreed by China and the US, He is scheduled to lead a delegation to Spain from September 14 to 17, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday.

As a continuation of previous rounds of talks in Geneva, London and Stockholm, the Spain meeting will offer another chance for the world's two largest economies to avoid escalating trade disputes, analysts said.

In August, China and the US released a joint statement after their meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, following what the Chinese side described as "in-depth, candid and constructive exchanges" at the end of July. Both sides agreed to continue suspending the imposition of a 24 percent tariff for another 90 days starting August 12, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

A commentary published by the People's Daily on Sunday urged the US to focus on the overall picture of China-US trade relations. "We hope that the US will work with China to engage in reciprocal, equal-footed dialogue to enhance trust, ease misunderstandings and deepen cooperation," it said.

Experts said that the talks signal both sides' willingness to seek common ground and potential breakthroughs through dialogue, which could provide more certainty for bilateral ties and global trade. But they warned that US pressure tactics ahead of the talks will not succeed, as China's resolve to safeguard its core interests will not change.

Broad attention

"The new round of dialogue indicates that despite differences on certain key issues, the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism is operating in a stable and effective way, and dialogue itself is a positive signal," Xin Qiang, an expert on US studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The Madrid talks are expected to focus more on addressing specific issues of mutual concern and seeking pragmatic solutions, building upon earlier agreements, Song Guoyou, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times.

The Madrid meeting will also touch on the TikTok issue, for which the US previously extended a deadline to divest its US assets until September 17.

China is resolute in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and will handle the TikTok issue in line with laws and regulations, a MOFCOM spokesperson said on Saturday, urging the US to ensure an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies operating there, including TikTok.

The People's Daily commentary stressed that China highly values data privacy and security, and has never and will never require enterprises or individuals to collect or provide data located overseas to the Chinese government in violation of local laws.

Regarding the TikTok issue, the People's Daily commentary stressed that the US has politicized, instrumentalized, and overly securitized economic and trade issues, disregarding market economy principles and attempting to forcibly seize benefits. This not only harms the legiti-mate rights and interests of enterprises but also undermines the credibility of the US market. It continued to note that specific commercial arrangements involving Chinese enterprises must comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

Amid global economic uncertainty, global media is closely watching whether the upcoming consultations will yield tangible results.

Bloomberg reported on Friday local time that the talks represent "another sign that discussions between the two sides are heating up." Citing an analyst, the report noted that while the meeting may not yield immediate major breakthroughs, it could signal progress toward a future agreement.

Reuters focused on potential advances in agricultural exports, citing traders and analysts, who said that US soybean farmers are largely missing out on sales to China halfway through their prime marketing season, as South American exporters seize the lion's share. China is the top buyer of American soybeans, according to official data.

Mutual effort

Washington has stepped up unilateral measures and sought to rally its allies to pressure China ahead of the talks.

The US administration on Friday added 23 Chinese firms to a restricted entity list, according to its Department of Commerce. The additions included two Chinese companies accused of acquiring US chipmaking equipment for China's top chipmaker SMIC.

"While the US may see tactical value in creating pressure as leverage ahead of negotiations, this strategy will not work when dealing with China," Xin said, cautioning that it only erodes mutual trust and hinders the possibility of reaching an agreement.

MOFCOM on Saturday denounced the US move as an overreach of so-called national security concepts and an abuse of export controls. It also launched an anti-dumping probe into US analog IC chip imports and a separate anti-discrimination investigation into US policies targeting China's chip sector, in line with Chinese law and WTO rules, according to the ministry.

In addition, US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged NATO members to halt purchases of Russian oil and proposed tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on China, the BBC reported. The US had earlier pressed the European Union and G7 nations to impose similar duties up to 100 percent on China and India, according to the Financial Times.

Any consensus reached in talks requires joint efforts from both sides. Always seeking to profit at the other's expense is by no means a long-term solution, the People's Daily commentary stressed. "Both nations should seek mutual benefit and win-win results… to better benefit both peoples and contribute to the world," it urged.

Song pointed to the multiple challenges facing the US economy due to its protectionist trade policies. "Continued confrontation with China will further worsen the US economy, as the negative effects and risks of its unilateral tariff policy continue to build up," he said.

The US trade deficit widened sharply in July as record inflows of capital and other goods boosted imports, a trend that if sustained could see trade subtracting from gross domestic product in the third quarter, according to Reuters.

The job market also faces mounting pressure. The US economy added 911,000 fewer jobs than initially estimated in the year through March, BBC reported. The report, citing analysts, attributed the employment shortfall to sweeping changes in US tariff and immigration policy, which economists have consistently warned would hurt the economy.