Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent stated on Sunday that he is unsure if President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently engaged in discussions regarding tariffs or initiated informal trade negotiations.
In an interview on ABC News “This Week,” Martha Radaz questioned the Treasury Secretary about a statement from Trump that appeared contradictory, indicating he had conversations with Chinese leaders.
“President Trump has again communicated with Chinese President Xi and mentioned that negotiations are in progress,” Radaz noted. “Nonetheless, China has categorically refuted this, claiming that there have been no discussions or negotiations concerning tariffs between China and the US.”
“So are negotiations actually taking place? Who is involved in the talks?” she inquired.
Bescent explained that the previous week was Washington’s IMF-World Bank Week, involving interactions with Chinese representatives, but those were primarily focused on conventional topics, including financial stability and global economic alerts.
“I cannot confirm whether President Trump spoke to President Xi,” he added. “I am aware they share a strong rapport and mutual respect.”
“However, I believe the Chinese perceive these elevated tariff levels as unsustainable for their enterprises,” Bescent commented.
When asked about China’s denial of ongoing negotiations, Bescent suggested that “they may be targeting a different audience.”
The inquiry was reiterated regarding whether this implies active negotiations, but Bescent avoided providing a clear answer, stating, “We have a process established,” and expressing that high tariffs negatively impact China’s business model.
In an Interview with Time Magazine published on Friday, Trump mentioned that Xi had called him but did not specify when the call occurred or what was discussed.
When a reporter questioned him on Friday if he had spoken to Xi since the tariff announcement, Trump responded, “I prefer not to comment, but I’ve had many conversations with him.”
