U.S. and China Trade Talks in Kuala Lumpur Amid Escalating Tensions

Senior U.S. and Chinese officials convened at Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka 118 tower in a high-stakes effort to de-escalate trade tensions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and negotiator Li Chenggang, though neither side disclosed substantive details. The talks unfold against President Trump’s threat of 100% tariffs on Chinese goods effective November 1—a retaliatory MOVE following Beijing’s October 10 restrictions on rare earth exports.

The discussions aimed to salvage a fragile trade framework negotiated since May, now jeopardized by Washington’s expanded entity list and China’s export controls. Rare earth minerals, critical for electronics and defense sectors, remain a geopolitical flashpoint. Observers speculate the dialogue could pave the way for temporary tariff relief at next week’s Pacific Rim economic summit, where TRUMP and Xi Jinping are slated to meet.