US-China Begin High-Stakes Economic Talks in Madrid Amid Rising Tech Tensions

On Sunday, a new round of economic and trade talks between China and US officials began in Madrid. This meeting is considered very important amid growing diplomatic contacts between the two countries. The US delegation is led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant and Trade Representative Jameson Greer, while the Chinese delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng.

According to US officials, issues related to trade, economic, and national security will be discussed in the talks. In particular, the focus will be on ByteDance Ltd.'s popular app TikTok, which faces a deadline this week for an agreement to continue operating in the US.

Officials believe these talks will pave the way for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea next month. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former US negotiator, said it would be difficult to achieve concrete results in such a short time, especially when Xi Jinping believes China's position is strong.

Just before the talks began, China launched two major investigations into the US semiconductor industry. This includes an anti-dumping investigation on US analog IC chips. The move comes at a time when the US recently added 23 more Chinese companies to its entity list. Companies on this list are accused of working against US national security and foreign policy interests.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry has said that its delegation will be in Spain from 14 to 17 September. At the same time, US Treasury Secretary Besant is on a visit to Spain and Britain from 12 to 18 September. During this time he will meet his counterparts. Meanwhile, President Trump will also visit Britain this week.

Experts believe that there are many complexities in the relationship between the US and China. Trade disputes, national security concerns and increasing tensions over the technology industry have made the relationship between the two countries more difficult. Despite this, the Madrid talks are being considered an important step for bilateral relations in the times to come.