Trump seeks stability with China’s Xi at May meeting — USTR Greer

<br><br>**Title** Stability First Trump Seeks Consistency in China Trade Talks a<br>at May Meeting<br><br>As the world's two largest economies, the United States and China have expe<br>experienced a significant amount of trade tension in recent years. However,<br>However, it appears that President Donald Trump is looking to maintain stab<br>stability in his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next mo<br>month.<br><br>According to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the goal is not to see<br>seek massive confrontation or conflict but rather to keep the relationship <br>stable and ensure continued access to rare earths from China. In a recent e<br>event hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank, Greer emphasized that the <br>two countries have settled into a stable situation where the US can access <br>Chinese rare earths and maintain substantial tariffs on Chinese goods.<br><br>Greer highlighted the progress made in Paris earlier this year when he, US <br>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discus<br>discussed issues involving rare earths, including minerals that go through <br>third countries before reaching the US. Although an initial Trump-Xi summit<br>summit was postponed due to the Iran war, Greer noted that minister and sta<br>staff-level consultations on rare earths have continued.<br><br>The key takeaway from Greer's remarks is that stability is the primary obje<br>objective, and he hopes to resolve any outstanding issues at the ministeria<br>ministerial level rather than having them escalate to the presidential leve<br>level. To achieve this, the US and China are working on plurilateral agreem<br>agreements to boost alternative supplies of critical minerals, including pr<br>price floor mechanisms to protect production from potential future predator<br>predatory price cuts by China.<br><br>Another area of focus is forming a Board of Trade mechanism for Trump and X<br>Xi to consider what they can sustainably trade with each other without cros<br>crossing national security red lines. While there have been discussions abo<br>about forming a possible Board of Investment between the two countries, Gre<br>Greer emphasized that it would focus on discrete issues related to investme<br>investment, such as roadblocks to specific company investments in the US or<br>or China.<br><br>As Trump has expressed interest in allowing Chinese electric vehicle maker <br>BYD to start a plant in the US, lawmakers have raised concerns about creati<br>creating an existential threat to the market-driven economics of the Americ<br>American auto industry. Greer noted that this is different from the Board o<br>of Trade mechanism, which would focus on concrete exchanges of goods.<br><br>In conclusion, it appears that President Trump is looking to maintain stabi<br>stability and consistency in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping <br>next month. By focusing on plurilateral agreements and forming a Board of T<br>Trade mechanism, the two countries can work towards resolving outstanding i<br>issues and creating a more sustainable trading relationship.<br><br>**Keywords** US-China trade talks, rare earths, tariffs, stability, pluril<br>plurilateral agreements, critical minerals, national security red lines, Bo<br>Board of Trade, Board of Investment.