Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who also serves as China’s lead negotiator on economic and trade matters with the United States, participated in a video call on Thursday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (iol.co.za). The meeting comes amid ongoing discussions between the two nations on trade relations and economic cooperation.
The call highlights the continued engagement between China and the U.S. on key economic issues, despite broader geopolitical tensions. While details of the discussion were not immediately released, the involvement of high-level officials suggests the meeting was aimed at addressing pressing trade and economic concerns. This follows recent reports indicating that China’s economic growth remains heavily reliant on domestic consumption, with experts noting a stable consumer market and expanding service consumption (sundayworld.co.za).
Meanwhile, other developments underscore the complex relationship between China and various international actors. The UK has reportedly sought to disrupt Channel crossings by negotiating a deal with China to block the supply of powerful Chinese-made engines, aiming to weaken people-smuggling operations (inews.co.uk). These actions reflect the growing influence of China in global trade and security matters.
