Senior officials from the United States and China convened in Madrid on Sunday to discuss persistent trade disputes, the approaching TikTok deadline, and Washington’s call for allies to impose tariffs on Beijing over its purchases of Russian oil.
The meeting brought together US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, and chief negotiator Li Chenggang, marking their fourth round of talks in four months after sessions in Geneva, London, and Stockholm.
In July, the two sides agreed to a 90-day trade truce that rolled back some retaliatory tariffs and reopened rare-earth mineral exports to the US. President Donald Trump has since extended average tariff rates on Chinese goods — around 55% — until November 10.
TikTok’s future has now been formally added to the agenda. The Chinese-owned app faces a September 17 deadline to divest its US operations or risk a nationwide ban. While Congress has demanded a sale to a US entity on security grounds, Trump’s own decision to join TikTok has complicated the optics.
A source close to the administration said another extension is likely, the fourth since Trump took office. Trade analysts caution that significant breakthroughs in Madrid are unlikely, with more substantive progress possible at a prospective Trump–Xi Jinping meeting during the APEC summit in Seoul later this year.
Another contentious issue is Washington’s push to cut off Russian oil revenues. The US has urged G7 allies to impose tariffs on Chinese and Indian imports, arguing these purchases bankroll Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Bessent and Greer stressed in a joint statement that only a united front can end the conflict.
Spain, meanwhile, has seized the opportunity to showcase its diplomatic weight, hosting the talks at Madrid’s Palacio de Santa Cruz as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez seeks to deepen ties with both Washington and Beijing.
