China Daily wrote today: "CCTV News reported that the China-US economic and trade teams began the China-US economic and trade consultation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday (October 25th)."
According to AFP, the meeting was held at Merdeka 118, the tallest skyscraper in Malaysia, which is also the second-tallest building in the world.
Comments: With the tariff truce period about to expire at the beginning of November, both sides focused on core issues such as rare earth control, agricultural trade, tariffs on China, and technological sanctions. This dialogue aims to sustain the current easing trend and create a favorable atmosphere for a possible summit between the heads of state of China and the United States.
From the details of the negotiation, this consultation contains signals of a power struggle. The representative of the hardline faction in the US has withdrawn from the negotiations, while China has strengthened the weight of its core negotiation team. This adjustment in the team reflects a subtle softening of the US attitude after the failure of pressure on China, and also confirms the effectiveness of China's strategy of maintaining a firm position to secure legitimate interests. Choosing the negotiation location in an ASEAN core city also implies the intention to promote the coordination of the "China-US + ASEAN" industrial chain through the regional economic structure, adding possibilities for the stability of the global supply chain.
However, a positive start to the consultation does not mean that the differences have been completely resolved. Achieving key demands such as extending tariffs and relaxing restrictions in the technology sector still requires both sides to find a balance between "mutual openness" and "core interests". Regardless of the outcome, this dialogue itself has already conveyed a clear message: In the current context of weak global economic recovery, the reality that "both sides will suffer if they fight, and both will benefit if they cooperate" remains unavoidable.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846957070916871/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.