Members of Donald Trump’s cabinet delivered conflicting messages on Sunday regarding whether negotiations with China over tariffs are actually taking place, despite the president’s claims.
Last week, the Trump administration appeared open to easing the trade war between the world’s two largest economies—a conflict that has sparked recession fears. Trump stated that discussions were ongoing with China and that he had spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
However, Beijing has denied that any trade talks are currently happening.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a key figure in U.S. trade negotiations, said on Sunday that although he met with Chinese officials during International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington last week, tariffs were not part of the discussion.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins offered a different account, saying in a separate television interview that the United States is engaged in daily conversations with China about tariffs.
“Every day we are in conversation with China, along with those other 99, 100 countries that have come to the table,” Rollins said during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.
Pressed during an interview on ABC’s This Week about whether direct tariff talks were occurring, Bessent sidestepped the question.
“I had interaction with my Chinese counterpart, but it was more on traditional issues like financial stability and early warnings in the global economy. I don’t know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi,” Bessent said.
Last week, Bessent described negotiations with Beijing as likely to be a “slog” and offered no clear timeline for a potential agreement. He noted that while comprehensive trade deals can take months to finalize, a de-escalation or agreement in principle could happen sooner and would prevent tariffs from rising to their highest levels.
Trump’s unpredictable and often confusing approach to tariffs has impacted major trading partners—including Canada, Mexico, and China—contributing to unprecedented market volatility and undermining investor confidence in U.S. assets.
