Two-day talks were held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, between senior officials of the world’s two largest economies, America and China. US Finance Minister Scott Besant told the media on Sunday that the meeting between the two sides will lay the foundation for the meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping. The US Finance Minister said that issues related to agricultural procurement, TikTok, trade, rare earth minerals and bilateral relations were discussed in the conversation.
This dialogue between America and China is important not only from the commercial but also from the political point of view. The Chinese delegation, led by Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng, included trade representative Li Chenggang and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min. At the same time, the American side was led by Finance Minister Besant and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. According to sources, a large part of the meeting focused on issues like fentanyl smuggling and TikTok data security. America has long been accusing China that Chinese tech companies monitor the data of its citizens. However, this time the talks are said to be more positive than before. Both countries have said in a joint statement that dialogue is the best way to resolve differences.
Trump’s Asia tour and strategic message
This conversation took place at a time when President Donald Trump is on his first major tour of Asia in his second term. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed him upon his arrival in Malaysia. Trump gave a message of regional stability by witnessing the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia. After Malaysia, Trump will visit Japan and South Korea. At the same time, he is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This meeting will be the first face-to-face meeting of the two leaders after Trump returned to the White House in January.
What did Trump tell the journalists?
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump said he hoped talks with Xi Jinping would lead to a complete and practical agreement. He said, ‘We will have direct dialogue on issues like tariffs, exports, agricultural procurement, Taiwan policy and Ukraine. This is the most effective way to resolve differences.
This statement of Trump has come at a time when trade tensions, differences regarding Taiwan and technological competition between the two countries are continuously increasing. According to US officials, President Trump is planning to take a tough stance in this meeting on American concerns over TikTok and illegal trafficking of fentanyl.
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