US-China trade talks in London ‘positive step’ but rough road ahead: analysts

US-China trade talks in London next week would signal positive development in ties but the negotiations would not be easy, observers said.

Meanwhile, Chinese state media reaction to the expected talks was muted, with commentaries reminding the US to honour its pledges while asserting Beijing’s red lines.

On Friday, a day after his much-anticipated phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump announced that a new round of high-level bilateral meetings were due to take place in the British capital.

“I am pleased to announce that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will be meeting in London on Monday, June 9, 2025, with Representatives of China, with reference to the Trade Deal,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

“The meeting should go very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

During their phone conversation on Thursday – the first since Trump returned to the White House in January – the two leaders agreed to advance talks aimed at resolving trade disputes between the world’s two largest economies.