The first major meeting between US and Chinese officials since President Trump slapped massive tariffs on China will take place in Switzerland this weekend, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects “de-escalation” will be the primary topic of discussion.
“We’ve agreed to talk – then on Saturday and Sunday, we will agree on what we’re going to talk about,” Bessent told Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the upcoming high-stakes meeting.
“My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about the big trade deal,” the treasury secretary continued. “We’ve got to de-escalate before we can move forward.”
Bessent argued that the tariffs on China are “not sustainable.”AFP via Getty Images
Bessent will travel to Switzerland on Thursday to meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and follow up on discussions Washington and Geneva had on the sidelines of last month’s World Bank Group–International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, the Treasury Department said in a press release.
The Treasury Department noted that while in Switzerland, Bessent would also meet with “the lead representative on economic matters from the People’s Republic of China.”