Thaw in US-China Trade War: Ahead of Geneva Talks, Trump Stands Firm on Maintaining Tariffs, Video Translation Error Leads to Misunderstanding
The United States and China will hold high-level economic and trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 10 and 11, 2025. This will be the first face-to-face dialogue since the Trump administration imposed a 145% increase in tariffs on Chinese goods. China claims the talks are at the U.S.'s request, while the U.S. states that China initiated the contact. Trump emphasized that he would not lower tariffs before the negotiations, but if the talks go well, adjustments might be considered. A video interview with Trump circulating online was found to be misinformation due to translation errors that caused misunderstandings.
Key Updates
05/08 23:02
Thaw in US-China Trade War: Ahead of Geneva Talks, Trump Stands Firm on Maintaining Tariffs, Video Translation Error Leads to Misunderstanding
The United States and China will hold high-level economic and trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 10 and 11, 2025. This will be the first face-to-face dialogue since the Trump administration imposed a 145% increase in tariffs on Chinese goods. China claims the talks are at the U.S.'s request, while the U.S. states that China initiated the contact. Trump emphasized that he would not lower tariffs before the negotiations, but if the talks go well, adjustments might be considered. A video interview with Trump circulating online was found to be misinformation due to translation errors that caused misunderstandings.
Senior US-China Officials to Meet in Geneva
According to announcements from the US Treasury Department and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with a delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 10 to 11. This marks the first face-to-face high-level economic and trade dialogue between the two sides since the escalation of the US-China trade war.
Bessent stated that the main purpose of the talks is to "alleviate tensions" rather than immediately reach a specific trade agreement. He noted that both the US and China believe the current high tariff situation "cannot be sustained" and emphasized that the US does not seek to decouple from China but hopes to establish a fair trade relationship.
Rashomon-Like Situation Over Who Initiated the Talks
Although both sides have confirmed the time and place of the talks, there is disagreement over who initiated the talks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian and Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong both stated that the talks were held "in response to a US request" and pointed out that the US had recently reached out to China through various channels to discuss tariff issues.
However, US President Trump expressed skepticism about this claim. When asked at the White House during the swearing-in ceremony of the new US Ambassador to China, David Perdue, whether the US initiated contact, he responded, "They say we initiated it? They should go back and check the records." Vice President Pence stated that it was China that reached out to the US, indicating that there are still differences between the two sides on this issue.
Trump Stands Firm on Tariffs
Since early April, the Trump administration has imposed a 145% tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, to which China responded with a 125% retaliatory tariff. Despite the upcoming talks, Trump has made it clear in multiple public statements that he will not lower tariffs to facilitate negotiations.
At a press conference on May 7, when asked if he would be willing to lower tariffs to entice China back to the negotiating table, Trump directly answered "no." He emphasized, "We used to lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year, now we're losing nothing." However, in a statement following a call with the British Prime Minister the next day, Trump said that if the talks go well, he "does not rule out" the possibility of lowering tariffs, indicating a slight softening of his stance.
Misleading Video Translation Sparks Confusion
Recently, a video of Trump being interviewed has been widely circulated on social media, with subtitles showing Trump "admitting that the US-China trade stagnation is his fault" and saying "it's not China's fault, it's my fault." The video has led to misunderstandings about Trump's stance.
The Taiwan Fact-Checking Center verified that the video is a clip from Trump's interview at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on April 27, 2025, and the original content did not imply "admitting blame." The center pointed out two significant translation errors in the video: first, Trump's original intent was "the US used to lose hundreds of billions of dollars annually in trade with China," which was mistranslated as "not trading with China will lose hundreds of billions of dollars"; second, when Trump said "Not because of them, because of me," he meant that the US had proactively halted trade, but it was mistranslated as "it's not China's fault, it's my fault."
The fact-checking center warned that such mistranslated videos are often used to mislead public opinion and urged the public to be vigilant and not to believe unverified information.
Background and Topics of the Talks
One of the key issues behind the talks is the US's concern over fentanyl precursor smuggling from China. In late April, Beijing submitted a list of issues to the US, asking how the US would like China to address the related problems, and the White House responded with a recommendations list, requesting China to strengthen enforcement and penalties. This move is seen as a chance to re-engage.
Additionally, according to insiders, besides tariff issues, the two sides may also discuss export controls, supply chain stability, AI governance, and climate financing. However, neither side has disclosed the specific agenda details to the public.
