During two days, the US-China talks in Kuala Lumpur finally ended, and China made public statements, sparking widespread attention from the outside world.Besent also made public statements that the US would no longer raise tariffs on China, and that China would also buy American soybeans.
On October 25, the economic and trade negotiation teams of China and the United States met in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to open the fifth round of negotiations on the trade dispute between China and the United States. Over the course of two days, the negotiations between the two sides finally ended on October 26.
After the talks on the 26th, the two sides held their own press conference. China Ministry of Commerce International Trade Negotiations Representative and Deputy Minister Li Zhen Steel made a statement in the face of numerous media reporters. First, Li Zhen Steel said that the talks, the topics discussed by the two sides include the export control of "related notes", the extension of the reciprocal tariff "buffer period", the Fentanyl issue, the expansion of trade and the U.S. 301 ship charges, etc. This shows that the topics discussed in this consultation are very broad, but also proves that there are differences between China and the U.S. in many fields.
China opposes the US’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs” and opposes the US’s unilateral economic bullying, this position is very clear, while the US is more concerned about China’s recently released rare-earth export control measures, and some of the rare-earth ban will first come into effect on November 1. The United States focuses on this issue in the negotiations, enough to show that China’s countermeasures are very effective and have become an important keyboard for China during the negotiations.
Secondly, Li Chenggang emphasized that China and the United States had conducted "constructive discussions" during the negotiations. The expression "constructive discussion" shows that both sides have an attitude towards solving problems, actively engage in discussions, and each has put forward workable plans. The relevant plan is more inclined to its own position and may be tentative. On the one hand, this demonstrates the positive attitude of China and the United States to voluntarily promote the peaceful resolution of the issue. On the other hand, it also means that the discussions between the two sides are still in the early stage of trial and game.
Finally, Li Chenggang pointed out that when expressing its position, the United States is "tough", while China's attitude is "firm" in safeguarding its interests. After "very intense discussions", China and the United States constructively discussed some plans and reached a preliminary consensus. In the next step, each of them will "fulfill the internal approval procedures". This sentence implies that China and the United States had a fierce confrontation during the negotiations, and China would never back down in the face of the toughness of the United States. Although the consultation atmosphere was very tense, some results were finally achieved. The delegations of both sides will hold internal discussions on the preliminary consensus reached to prepare for the next negotiation.
Some analysts believe that judging from Li Chenggang's statement, the results of this negotiation reveal a positive signal, and the tense trade situation between China and the United States is expected to ease. The statement of US Treasury Secretary Bescent confirmed this point. At the press conference held by the US, Bescent publicly stated that the talks were "constructive". He revealed that the United States will give up imposing 100% high tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for China's re-purchase of American soybeans.
Besent said that it is expected that within a few years, China will resume purchasing U.S. soybeans, and relevant agreements may be reached at the upcoming Sino-US summit. He also said that U.S. soybean farmers should be "very optimistic" about soybean planting this season and in the next few years. The implication is that soybean trade between China and the United States will gradually recover, and American soybean farmers do not need to delay planting because they are worried that they will not find buyers for next year's soybeans.
In the outside world, this shows that China and the United States have achieved tangible results in the negotiations, which are conducive to the next economic and trade consultation between the two countries. More importantly, US President Trump has softened the pressure on the public opinion of the U.S. Bean Farm and retained the votes of the agricultural states.