US, Chinese officials start Geneva trade talks
GENEVA—Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began talks with US Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent on Saturday in Geneva in a tentative first step towards defusing a trade war that is disrupting the global economy.
Bessent and He were meeting in Geneva after weeks of growing tensions in which duties on goods imports between the world’s two largest economies have soared far beyond 100 percent.
The trade dispute, combined with US President Donald Trump’s decision last month to impose duties on dozens of other countries, has disrupted supply chains, unsettled financial markets and stoked fears of a sharp global downturn.
The location of the talks in the Swiss diplomatic hub was not made public.
However, witnesses saw both delegations leaving the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the UN in the suburb of Cologny.
