- Negotiations
Washington and Beijing began formal negotiations towards a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) in June 2008. A year later, the highly sensitive talks were halted until July 2013. The US is interested in getting Chinese restrictions on foreign ownership in about 100 sectors — from soybean oil and automobiles to life insurance and other financial services — lifted for US companies which want to expand their market presence there. The Chinese government is interested in getting more security for highly-scrutinised Chinese investments in the US and its massive holdings of US sovereign debt ($1.3 trillion).
In late 2013, China agreed to initiate talks on a possible BIT with the European Union as well.
July 2014
30-Jun-2025
Euronews
China said that it had further confirmed details of a trade framework, including the export of rare earths.
16-Jun-2025
Reuters
The renewed US-China trade truce struck in London left a key area of export restrictions tied to national security untouched, an unresolved conflict that threatens a more comprehensive deal.
12-Jun-2025
Al Jazeera
The deal includes a provision in which China will supply the US with rare earth elements vital to major US companies, particularly in the auto, semiconductor, and smartphone manufacturing sectors.
11-Jun-2025
Reuters
US and Chinese officials said they had agreed on a framework to get their trade truce back on track and remove China’s export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade tensions.
2-Jun-2025
Reuters
US President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of violating a bilateral deal to roll back tariffs and announced a doubling of worldwide steel and aluminum tariffs to 50%, once again rattling international trade.
13-May-2025
France 24
The United States and China announced a joint agreement to dramatically slash reciprocal tariffs as Washington and Beijing seek to end a trade war that for months has upended the global economy and set financial markets teetering on collapse.
7-May-2025
Kyodo
The United States and China will hold talks to de-escalate trade tensions, in the first known high-level in-person contact between representatives of the world’s two largest economies since President Donald Trump unleashed hefty tariffs on imports.
2-May-2025
CNN
China has signaled a slight softening in its stance by stating it is "currently assessing" US proposals to start trade talks, potentially opening the door for negotiations amid ongoing tariff tensions. While Beijing insists that the US must show "genuine sincerity" by removing its unilateral tariffs first, it remains open to dialogue.
23-Apr-2025
Fortune
President Donald Trump said he plans to be “very nice” to China in any trade talks and that tariffs will drop if the two countries can reach a deal, a sign he may be backing down from his tough stance on Beijing amid market volatility.
20-Feb-2025
Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump said it would be possible to reach a fresh trade deal with China, signaling he is open to heading off a brewing trade fight between Washington and Beijing.
