US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenKhushboo Razdanin WashingtonPublished: 5:03am, 8 Apr 2026Just weeks before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Washington’s top trade negotiator signalled a cautious, tightly managed approach to China ties, ruling out a pre-summit visit to Beijing, favouring continued virtual engagement, and indicating no new push to expand bilateral investment.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated on Tuesday that preparatory talks with Chinese counterparts would take place virtually, ruling out an in-person trip to Beijing before the summit even as working-level discussions continue.
The meeting followed a fresh round of talks with the Chinese delegation, led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng, along with US Treasury chief Bessent. Last week, Greer said negotiators in Paris had reached “general agreement on the types of outcomes” for the May summit, and outlined plans for a “Board of Trade” to pursue “managed trade” – a system based on buying equal value of goods from each other.
What are rare earths, and why is China’s dominance facing global pushback
