On May 10th in Swiss time, the first round of talks was held between China and the United States since the imposition of high tariffs. The meeting took place in Switzerland, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent conducting the talks personally. The talks were divided into two sessions in the morning and afternoon. After the morning session, Secretary Besent was photographed by American media, as shown below. American netizens believed that his facial expression clearly looked uncomfortable.

American netizens thought that although Secretary Besent tried to keep a smile, it appeared extremely forced, showing helplessness and bitterness. Some even judged at that moment that the afternoon session would be difficult to proceed. However, both parties later confirmed that they did have a discussion in the afternoon. As for the specific details of what was discussed, the outside world remains unaware.

In fact, Trump himself sent out a tweet shortly after the day's talks ended. In his post, he claimed that the talks were very pleasant and that many consensuses had been reached. However, he also made a request to China: he hoped China would open up to American businesses.

What Trump said is exactly what we expected: we know that Trump no longer has any cards left to continue the fight with China. Therefore, even if there were unpleasant moments during the talks or if many consensuses were not reached, he would definitely give a positive interpretation. After all, his top priorities at present are threefold:

1. He must restore confidence among global investors in the United States so that investors do not flee the country anymore.

2. He must restore confidence among holders of U.S. debt so that they do not sell off U.S. bonds.

3. He cannot let the approval rating of Americans towards him drop further; otherwise, the Republican Party will be in trouble during the midterm elections.

So, the question now facing China is: what is Trump's tariff bottom line with China? On the same day of the China-U.S. talks, U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnik made a revealing statement to China. Regarding the multiple tariff figures Trump had previously mentioned, Lutnik responded directly in an interview.

We know that a few days ago, Trump mentioned two numbers, saying one day that he wanted to reduce tariffs on China to around 50%, and the next day to around 80%. However, this time, Lutnik said: I believe that the 34% figure Trump mentioned on Liberation Day is the right decision. From 145% down to even 34%, Trump seems truly ready to "raise the white flag" to China. It was a pity that it didn't happen earlier! But the problem is, even a 34% tariff on China may not be bearable for American farmers and businesses.

In summary, there will be a second round of talks between China and the United States, tentatively scheduled for Sunday locally. According to the latest information from The Wall Street Journal, a senior official from China’s Ministry of Public Security will also join the negotiations in Switzerland. If this situation is true, it suggests that China and the United States may negotiate on jointly addressing the fentanyl issue.

In fact, China's attitude toward these talks is clear: we believe that "China and the U.S. working together benefits the world," which is why we are willing to talk to the United States. However, China's attitude toward the tariff issue will not change, and it is impossible to accept any coercion from the United States. Now, countries around the world are paying attention to this matter, waiting for good news from China and the United States. Therefore, the Trump administration should now think about how to step down gracefully and show sincerity to China. We will continue to follow developments closely.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503000126827430435/

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