China Raises 'Serious Concern' Over Recent US Trade Measures in Call With Bessent and Greer
The Facts
- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who serves as Beijing's lead official for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, held a video call on Thursday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
- According to a Xinhua readout, the Chinese side expressed "serious concern" over recent U.S. economic and trade restrictions imposed on China.
- Chinese state media described the exchanges as "candid, in-depth and constructive," and said the two sides agreed to use the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism to strengthen communication, build mutual trust and expand cooperation.
- Bessent said in a post on X that he emphasized the U.S. expects Beijing to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products, and that the officials discussed implementing Trade and Investment Boards as a mechanism for a "more balanced, fair, and constructive" economic relationship.
- Both governments framed the call as groundwork for a planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in September, with Xi expected to travel to the United States.
- The U.S. last week announced new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners over allegations of lax enforcement against forced labor, with China assigned the 12.5% rate.
- Among the measures Beijing objects to are a U.S. ban on imports of humanoid and quadruped robots made in China, alongside actions targeting Chinese scientific institutions; China said Washington was seeking to "suppress" Chinese companies.
- Points of friction remain unresolved between the two sides, including U.S. sanctions, export controls on advanced chips and AI technology, and supply-chain restrictions affecting China-made products.
- The call took place against the backdrop of a trade truce reached after Trump and Xi met, which recent tensions have threatened to disrupt.
Context
What specific U.S. measures is Beijing objecting to?
Chinese officials cited a package of recent U.S. actions: tariffs of 10% and 12.5% announced last week on 60 trading partners over alleged lax enforcement against forced labor, with China assigned 12.5% Investing.com,Reuters,La Jornada; a ban on imports of humanoid and quadruped robots manufactured in China CNA,Prensa Libre,Pulse24.com …; and measures targeting Chinese scientific institutions infobae,Prensa Libre.
What did the U.S. side say it wanted from the call?
Bessent said he and Greer told He Lifeng that Washington expects Beijing to fully honor its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products, and that the three discussed implementing Trade and Investment Boards as a mechanism to secure what he called "concrete progress toward a more balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship" Reuters,Straits Times,Anadolu Ajansı.
Why does this call matter now?
Both sides are working to finalize economic deliverables ahead of an expected Xi visit to the United States in September, when the two leaders could sign further trade agreements Axios,SCMP. The Epoch Times reported Xi is expected in Washington on Sept. 24, weeks before the current trade deal is set to expire theepochtimes.com. Meanwhile, disputes over export controls, tariffs and access to critical minerals continue to strain the existing truce Firstpost.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Both read Thursday's warm language as unproven: leverage is already applied, and its value should be judged by verified delivery before September, not by a constructive readout.
- Where Left and Right split
- Coerced workers whose freedom the forced-labor tariffs were supposedly for, or ending American dependence on Chinese rare earths and chips.
How left and right read it
Tariffs of 10% and 12.5% landed on 60 trading partners last week, justified by lax enforcement against forced labor. Days later, that leverage sits at a table where the stated asks are rare earths, agricultural purchases, and new Trade and Investment Boards. Workers are not a bargaining chip. If forced labor is the reason for these measures, enforcement must be judged by whether coerced workers are actually freed — not by what Beijing concedes on soybeans before September.
Bessent and Greer used Thursday's call to press Beijing to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and American agricultural products, while chip and AI export controls and the ban on China-made humanoid and quadruped robots stay in place. That is reciprocity with leverage intact. Dependence on another power's minerals is a vulnerability, not a trade statistic. Before September, what enforceable proof of delivery justifies loosening anything?
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