Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on ABC's This Week regarding uncertainties surrounding President Trump's communications with Chinese President Xi Jinping amidst a tumultuous trade war. His statements cast doubt on Trump's prior claims of a call with Xi, highlighting minimal communication between the two leaders. Bessent reassured that the administration was engaging in talks with multiple nations to address escalating trade tensions, but acknowledged that current tariffs on Chinese goods were not sustainable. These developments occur amidst negotiations aimed at resolving significant trade disputes between the two largest economies.
I don't know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi, Mr. Bessent said when pressed by the host, Martha Raddatz, about Mr. Trump's statements that the two leaders had spoken about trade.
The Treasury secretary is traditionally the American official who leads economic talks between the United States and China and would be expected to know if Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi had engaged in such discussions.
Mr. Bessent's comments, made on ABC's This Week, come as the United States and China are locked in a trade war that is destabilizing the world economy and rattling global markets.
The secretary attempted to ease concerns about trade tensions with China and other countries, insisting that the administration was in talks with various nations and acknowledging that the tariffs it has imposed on Chinese goods were not sustainable.
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