Trump sees "restart" in trade relations with China

Following the start of trade talks between the US and China, US President Donald Trump is expressing confidence: The "very good" talks between the world's two largest economies are "a complete reset, negotiated in a friendly but constructive manner," he said on his online platform Truth Social.

"We want to open China to American companies for the benefit of China and the United States," Trump continued, adding: "Great progress!!!" Experts, however, were far more cautious about the prospects of success of the negotiations.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are participating in the negotiations, which began on Saturday in Geneva. China is represented by Vice Premier He Lifeng, responsible for trade.

These are the first talks at this level since the massive tariffs imposed by Trump came into effect. The US president imposed a 145 percent tariff on most Chinese imports. The People's Republic responded with a 125 percent tariff on many US goods.

Who takes the first step?

Even before the negotiations in Switzerland, Trump had shown himself willing to compromise, saying an 80 percent tariff on China was the right thing to do. However, his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the leadership in Beijing must also be willing to make concessions. Washington would not unilaterally reduce tariffs.

China has repeatedly insisted that the US must lift its tariffs first. So far, both countries have tried to create the impression that they each have the upper hand and don't need to make the first move to reach out to the other side.

Chinese Vice Premier He can certainly rely on the People's Republic's strong export figures at the Geneva talks: In the midst of the trade war with the US, China was able to surprisingly increase its exports worldwide. They grew by 8.1 percent year-on-year in April, according to customs authorities. Experts believe this significant increase demonstrates that China has diverted many exports to Southeast Asia.

wa/pg (afp, dpa, rtr)