China signaled a willingness to ease tensions with the United States ahead of a long-anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, even as trade negotiators from both sides prepare for difficult discussions this weekend in Malaysia.
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao struck a conciliatory tone on Friday, emphasizing that "dialogue and cooperation are the only right choice for China and the U.S." Speaking in Mandarin at a Beijing press conference, Wang said the two countries "can find ways to address the issues they have with each other on the basis of mutual respect" and "find the right path for getting along, for the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations."
Wang's comments come as delegations led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meet in Kuala Lumpur for the fifth round of trade negotiations. The talks, scheduled to run through Monday, are expected to lay the groundwork for the Oct. 30 summit between Trump and Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea.
The dialogue follows months of escalating trade and technology clashes between the world's two largest economies. Earlier this month, Beijing tightened restrictions on rare earth exports-a market it dominates with 90% of global processed output-after Washington expanded export controls on U.S. technology. The move triggered a sharp response from Trump, who threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese imports and new export bans on "any and all critical software."
"I'm hoping that we can get this ironed out this weekend so that the leaders can enter their talks on a more positive note," Bessent told Fox Business before departing for Malaysia. But he also cautioned that "everything is on the table" if Beijing fails to ease restrictions.
The U.S. administration is also reportedly weighing additional software export controls affecting industries from laptops to jet engines, Reuters reported. "If these export controls-whether it's software, engines or other things-happen, it will likely be in coordination with our G7 allies," Bessent said.
Chinese officials, however, have urged restraint and renewed engagement. "China, as a responsible big nation, has always opposed decoupling and 'breaking the chain,' [while] adhering to global supply chain security and safety," Wang said. Beijing also confirmed that Vice Premier He would hold talks with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during the Malaysia meetings.
Wang's remarks followed the conclusion of China's "Fourth Plenum," a high-level Communist Party gathering focused on economic planning and technological development. Han Wenxiu, a senior Party economic adviser, told reporters that "relations between big countries influence the international situation, and changes in the international situation deeply impact China's domestic development."
The Trump administration has presented the coming week's events as an opportunity for broad diplomatic engagement in Asia. Trump will begin his trip with meetings in Malaysia and Japan before traveling to South Korea, where he will meet President Lee Jae Myung and deliver remarks at the APEC CEO summit in Busan.
Speaking from the Oval Office earlier this week, Trump previewed an ambitious agenda for his meeting with Xi. "We'll make a deal on, I think, everything," he said. "We're going to make a deal on the rare earth." The president also said he expects to discuss agricultural trade and "how do we end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether it's through oil or energy or anything else."
