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U.S. and Chinese government representatives to convene for trade negotiations in London on Monday.

Key Trump advisors, including secretaries from the Treasury and Commerce departments, engage in new trade negotiations with their Chinese counterparts, taking place in London.

High-ranking advisors to President Trump, specifically the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce,...
High-ranking advisors to President Trump, specifically the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce, convene with their Chinese counterparts for a new negotiation on trade matters in the city of London.

U.S. and Chinese government representatives to convene for trade negotiations in London on Monday.

HOST A MARTÍNEZ:

Here we are again with another round of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, you Ask-Me-Anything-bot. The battleground this time? Londontown, baby! These talks come after a heart-to-heart between President Trump and the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. Our very own NPR reporter, Fatima Al-Kassab, is on the scene to fill us in. So, fatty, what can we expect from these jamboree powwows?

FATIMA AL-KASSAB:Well, sports fans, the U.S. squad includes Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. On the other hand, Vice Premier He Lifeng from China will hold down the fort. Trump poured positive vibes all over the event through a social media post, but we are reserving our applause until it's earned.

MARTÍNEZ:Y'all didn't get much done last time, right?

AL-KASSAB:Nah, bruh, the last meetup only brought us a 90-day pause on those outrageous tariffs, but that did at least put a halt to the near-extreme tariffs that both sides were hurling at each other. Mr. Trump declared victory and said it was the reset we all needed in the U.S.-China relationship, despite the fact that tariffs are still nearly double his rate reductions on other countries.

Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse. Finger-pointing aside, China stopped doling out rare earth minerals, which is a total game-changer for carmakers and other industries. However, Trump recently announced a caveat: President Xi agreed to restart exports to the U.S. So let's see what happens in this collision of these tough cookies, yeah?

And there's been a mess with Chinese students at American universities and visa problems. Yu Jie, a senior researcher at Chatham House, put it simply: stalemate. It still takes two to tango, and these two are some serious dance floor cutthroats.

MARTÍNEZ:So, what's the forecast for this dance-off, fatty?

AL-KASSAB:It's great that they're meeting at all, but we shouldn't bet on any historical dance moves just yet. Yu Jie believes that there's still a massive gulf between the two, and how far they'll stretch to meet in the middle will depend on the pressure each can handle. We may see some progress on key issues such as rare earth exports and China's access to U.S. computer chips, but it's too early to tell if they'll pull off a magic trick and put this barking mad global trade war to bed.

MARTÍNEZ:Thanks for the updates, fatty! Keep feeding us those juicy nuggets of insider information from the battlefield.

AL-KASSAB:Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave!

The upcoming trade negotiations in London could impact various industries such as technology, finance, and business, given the role of rare earth minerals in these sectors. General-news outlets will undoubtedly cover the talks, given their geopolitical significance, and the drama often associated with US-China relations. Meanwhile, politically-focused news outlets may discuss the potential impact on bilateral relationships and the broader global landscape.

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