Date Set for U.S.-China Direct Trade Negotiations, Say Trump Officials

The Trump administration has officially set the date for its first direct trade talks with China amid an escalating tariff war that has sent shockwaves through global markets and brought Beijing’s economy to its knees.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese officials this weekend in Switzerland, marking the first formal negotiation since President Trump imposed a crushing 145% tariff on Chinese imports as part of his "Liberation Day" trade offensive.

“I was going to be in Switzerland to negotiate with the Swiss. Turns out, the Chinese team is traveling through Europe and they will be in Switzerland also. So, we will meet on Saturday and Sunday,” Bessent confirmed on The Ingraham Angle.

The announcement comes just weeks after China ramped up retaliatory tariffs to 125%, prompting factory shutdowns, mass protests, and wage strikes across Suining, Hunan, and Inner Mongolia. According to Treasury data, the U.S. has absorbed some domestic price pressure but held firm while China’s economy is visibly cracking under Trump’s pressure campaign.

“We don’t want to decouple; what we want is fair trade,” Bessent emphasized, adding that the current situation is “not sustainable, especially on the Chinese side.”

President Trump’s hardline tariff strategy is now bearing fruit. For months, China resisted direct talks. Now, it’s sending its team through Europe conveniently “available” in Switzerland a clear signal that Beijing is ready to talk because it has no choice.

Greer, who’s also set to meet Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, stated plainly:

“At President Trump’s direction, I am negotiating with countries to rebalance our trade relations to achieve reciprocity, open new markets, and protect America’s economic and national security.”

This is more than a meeting it’s the first major diplomatic retreat by Beijing since Trump re-entered the White House. Despite media panic over the “costs” of tariffs, Trump never wavered, and now the Chinese Communist Party is blinking.

Let’s not forget:

• Factory workers in China are now rioting over unpaid wages.

• 16 million Chinese jobs are at risk, according to Goldman Sachs.

• Meanwhile, the U.S. is seeing a return of manufacturing investment, thanks to Trump’s America-first policy.

And while previous administrations obsessed over multilateralism and appeasement, Trump is doing what they wouldn’t: forcing real concessions through strength.

Talks with China now join a growing list of global negotiations under Trump’s leadership, including India, South Korea, and Japan, where America is rapidly reclaiming leverage.

The message is simple: America is no longer a doormat, and under Trump, we don’t beg for fair trade we demand it.

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