US and China trade talks: Focus on economy, trade, and TikTok

The US and China will resume trade talks next week. The US Treasury announced that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with Chinese representatives in Madrid. Among them will be Vice Premier He Lifeng, who has led previous talks for China.

There was no immediate confirmation from Beijing. According to the US announcement, Bessent will discuss economic, trade and national security issues. The social media app TikTok will also be on the agenda.

It was initially unclear when the talks are scheduled. Bessent will travel to Spain and the UK from September 12 to 18, his department said. Several media outlets reported that the meeting is expected to take place next week.

Deadlines extended several times

The world’s two largest economies recently extended the pause in their trade dispute by ninety days. The talks in Madrid would be the fourth in the dispute, following meetings in Geneva, London and Stockholm.

The question of the sale of TikTok in the US is also pressing. A deadline extended by US President Trump for a deal for the TikTok sale expires on September 17. Because TikTok is owned by the China-based Bytedance, there are concerns in the US that the Chinese government could access data from American users through TikTok and manipulate public opinion in the country via the app. TikTok denies this.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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