Geneva, May 10, 2025: In a cautious but critical step toward resolving an escalating trade war, China’s Vice Premier He Lipeng met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Saturday in Geneva, according to China’s state news agency and sources close to the discussions.
Bessent, accompanied by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, is leading the American delegation in talks aimed at defusing trade tensions that have significantly disrupted global supply chains and roiled financial markets. Tariffs between the two economic giants have soared to over 100 percent on various imports in recent weeks.
The stakes are high, as the ongoing dispute threatens to trigger a broader global economic downturn. The situation further intensified following President Donald Trump’s announcement last month to impose tariffs on imports from multiple countries, exacerbating concerns over worldwide trade stability.
On Friday, President Trump indicated a potential softening of the U.S. position, stating that an 80 percent tariff on Chinese goods “seems right”—marking the first suggestion of an alternative to the current 145 percent levies.
While the exact location of the Geneva talks has been kept confidential, local reports noted heightened security, with over a dozen police vehicles stationed outside a private residence in a quiet suburb. Mercedes vans with tinted windows were seen departing from a hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva where the Chinese delegation was staying.
Earlier in the day, members of the U.S. delegation—including Bessent and Greer—were spotted leaving their hotel dressed in red ties and American flag pins, smiling but declining to comment to reporters.
The Geneva talks are widely viewed as a tentative but vital step toward de-escalation, though no formal breakthroughs have been announced so far.
