LONDON: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday (Jun 10) described closely watched trade talks with Chinese officials as productive, as scheduling conflicts prompted his departure from London with negotiations ongoing.
Top officials from the world’s two biggest economies held a second day of trade talks Tuesday at the UK’s historic Lancaster House, with meetings stretching into the night.
All eyes are on the outcomes as both sides try to overcome an impasse over export restrictions, with US officials earlier accusing Beijing of slow-walking approvals for shipments of rare earths.
Bessent left the meetings early to return to Washington for testimony before Congress, a US official told AFP.
But US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and trade envoy Jamieson Greer, who were also part of the delegation, would further talks as needed with Chinese counterparts, the official said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lutnick told Bloomberg Television that the negotiations were “going well”.
Global stock markets were on edge, although Wall Street’s major indexes climbed on hopes for progress.
With meetings dragging on, “the lack of positive headlines weighed on stocks,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading platform.
US President Donald Trump told reporters Monday: “We are doing well with China. China’s not easy.”
