US and China Discuss Easing Export Controls on First Day of Second Trade Talks... Trump Says "China Is Not Easy"

US May Ease Controls on Semiconductors in Exchange for Rare Earths from China

On the 9th (local time), the United States and China held high-level trade talks in London, United Kingdom, discussing export control issues, which are at the core of the 'trade war' between the two countries.

On the 9th (local time), Scott Baesent, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (left), and He Lifeng, Vice Premier of the State Council of China, met and shook hands at the U.S.-China trade negotiations held in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Reuters

According to Bloomberg News, the delegations from both countries concluded the first day of negotiations after more than six hours of discussions in London, continuing until 8 p.m. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Baesent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer. The Chinese delegation was headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is regarded as China's 'economic heavyweight.'

The delegations plan to meet again at 10 a.m. on the 10th in London to continue their discussions. According to Bloomberg News, the United States indicated that it is willing to partially lift technology export controls targeting China, on the condition that China eases its restrictions on rare earth exports to the U.S.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations who spoke to Bloomberg News, the Trump administration is specifically prepared to lift export controls on semiconductor design software, jet engine components, and chemical and nuclear materials. These export controls were newly imposed by the United States as part of recent measures to pressure China amid ongoing trade tensions. The Trump administration is expected to ease some of these measures to ensure a stable supply of rare earths from China.

President Trump, when asked about the status of the negotiations at a White House event that day, said, "We are doing well with China," but added, "China is not easy." He also stated, "I'm only getting good reports (from the negotiating team)."

President Trump said, "We want to open up China," claiming that China has treated the United States unfairly for a long time, but no previous U.S. president had the courage to respond to China.

This round of negotiations stems from differences between the two countries regarding possible violations of the trade agreement reached in Geneva last month. At that time, both countries agreed to significantly lower tariffs by 115 percentage points for 90 days, and China agreed to take action to lift non-tariff measures implemented in response to the mutual tariffs announced by the United States in early April.

However, the United States has argued that China is violating the agreement by maintaining export controls on key minerals and rare earths, which China had agreed to lift. In contrast, China has criticized the U.S. export controls announced after the Geneva agreement as "discriminatory" and has urged the United States to honor the agreement. When China imposed controls on rare earth exports, U.S. industries such as automotive and electronics, which depend on these minerals from China, faced a crisis. As a result, President Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone on the 5th and agreed to hold high-level trade talks in London.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.