Lingling Wei

GENEVASenior economic officials from the U.S. and China concluded their weekend trade talks Sunday without announcing details of their discussions

| Details of trade meeting among top officials are expected Monday - Brian Schwartz and Lingling Wei

The U.S.-China trade truce in Geneva earlier this month hinged on Beijing agreeing to resume crucial mineral exports. Now China is slow-walking the concession, and the pact is in jeopardy.

He Lifeng, Beijing’s economic gatekeeper, has a clear mandate from Xi Jinping: China won’t be catering to the U.S.

At the center of the latest trade storm between the U.S. and China is He Lifeng. Since He became vice premier in early 2023, China's leader Xi Jinping has essentially put him in charge of fortifying the nation’s economy against the effects of U.S.-led Western tariffs and export controls. This year,

President Trump spoke Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to Chinese state media, seeking to stabilize trade negotiations that have broken down in recent weeks.

The trade war’s focus has shifted from tariffs to countries’ curbs on critical products and materials.

The move marks the latest twist in the countries’ winding trade war.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday declined to give clarity on the timeline for U.S. tariffs on China. In May, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause on sky-high tariffs, giving them months to negotiate a broader trade deal before levies up to 145% could be reimposed. The sides met t