Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prior to a new round of China-U.S. economic and trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, July 28, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

 

The US should work with China to continue to enhance consensus, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation, further deepen dialogue and consultations, and strive for more win-win outcomes, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said in Stockholm on Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday. 

A stable, healthy and sustainable China-US economic and trade relationship serves not only the two countries' respective development goals but also contributes to global economic growth and stability, He said. 

He made the remarks during the new round of China-US economic and trade talks in Stockholm from Monday to Tuesday with US lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. 

Responding to a question seeking further details on the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that China hopes the US will work with China to follow the important common understandings reached by the two presidents during the phone call, make good use of the consultation mechanism, have more consensus and cooperation and fewer misperceptions through dialogue and communication on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit, achieve more mutually beneficial results, and jointly promote the sound, steady and sustainable development of bilateral relations. 

Chinese experts highlighted the constructive atmosphere of China-US trade talks and said it helps inject more certainty to a volatile global geopolitical environment and disrupted global trade.

"The fact that the world's two largest economies have engaged in candid exchanges itself demonstrates that this consultation mechanism remains effective, which is of great significance in a complex and volatile global environment," Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Following previous China-US trade talks in Geneva in May and London in June, the Stockholm meeting has further created favorable conditions for both sides to address their respective concerns and de-escalate the tariff disputes that have strained the global economy, Zhou said, noting that such communications will clarify the direction of future economic and trade work between China and the US and enable working teams to carry out their tasks more effectively.

Since May, both countries have been working to implement the consensus reached during a recent presidential call. Central to these efforts is the reduction of excessive tariffs and a shared aim to cool down frictions between the world's two largest economies, Xinhua noted.

The Stockholm talks mark the third such meeting between the two sides in three months and came just days before the expiration of a 90-day tariff truce agreed upon by the two sides, with a deadline approaching on August 12.

Speaking to reporters from Stockholm, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the two-day meeting was "constructive" and suggested that a deal to extend the tariff pause was likely, CNN reported.

"The meetings were very productive," Bessent said, according to the US media.

Bessent on Tuesday claimed that he warned Chinese officials that continued purchases of sanctioned Russian oil could result in steep tariffs due to legislation in Congress, Reuters reported. 

Asked to comment on Bessent's reported claim, Guo said on Wednesday that China will take energy supply measures that are right for China based on our national interests. Tariff wars have no winners. Coercion and pressuring cannot solve problems. China will firmly safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests.

Bao Jianyun, dean and professor of the Department of International Politics, School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday the latest talks underline both countries' commitment to resolving their differences through negotiation rather than confrontation.

"This is the right direction in controlling risks and enhancing predictability and certainty between China-US economic and trade relations," Bao said.

Through trade talks, the US should recognize that bilateral economic and trade cooperation with China is mutually beneficial and win-win, and more importantly, these discussions inject hope to the broader global trade and the world economy, the expert said, calling for the US to meet China halfway to jointly maintain global trade order and free trade.

On Wednesday, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with a delegation led by Rajesh Subramaniam, board chair of the US-China Business Council (USCBC) in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on China-US economic and trade relations as well as US businesses' development in China, according to a statement on the MOFCOM website. 

Referring to the talks in Stockholm, Wang said that it is hoped the US will meet China halfway and jointly maintain the stable, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations. "China's door will only open wider. The policy of welcoming foreign investment has not changed and will not change," Wang stressed, expressing welcome for enterprises from all countries, including US companies, to invest in China and share development opportunities.

Subramaniam said the USCBC is glad to see that the economic and trade teams of the two countries have maintained dialogue and achieved positive results, according to Xinhua News Agency.

He added that China has sent a positive signal to the world that it will further deepen reform and stay committed to opening up, which has boosted market confidence.

The USCBC and its member companies are committed to long-term development in China and will strive to play a constructive role in expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he said.