习近平向全球文明对话部长级会议致贺信
Opinion > Latest >

China stresses cooperation in candid London trade consultations

Source: CGTN | 2025-06-12
Share:
China stresses cooperation in candid London trade consultations

By Imran Khalid

By all appearances, the image from London of American and Chinese officials arrayed side by side indicates a moment of significant recalibration in one of the most consequential bilateral relationships of our time. In a world rocked by tariff tantrums, hawkish rhetoric and competitive decoupling, the recent China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism meeting in London offered something rare: a signal of strategic maturity and purposeful dialogue.

At the heart of this effort stands China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng, whose carefully worded, yet pointed, remarks reflect Beijing's commitment to both principled negotiation and pragmatic outcomes. His insistence that "cooperation … benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both" lands with fresh relevance, especially in the climate of post-pandemic economic fragility, polarized politics and increasingly weaponized trade tools.

He Lifeng's emphasis on sincerity, mutual respect and honoring commitments stands in marked contrast to the habitual U.S. style of negotiating – where pledges made across conference tables are often undone with the next news cycle or election. His call for "honoring words with actions" was more than diplomatic routine; it was a polite but firm rebuke of Washington's history of backtracking on accords once they are politically inconvenient.

The London talks, as Chinese officials described, were "candid and in-depth," and led to a principled consensus aligned with the phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump – a signal that, at least at the symbolic level, there remains willingness to avert economic escalation. But symbolism alone does not build stable trade regimes. Nor does it guarantee a halt to tariff escalations or tech blacklists. It is precisely for this reason that China's position – resolute but reasonable – deserves closer attention.

As He stated with clarity, Beijing is sincere in its pursuit of constructive consultation but will not be intimidated by the specter of a trade war. This twin posture of readiness to dialogue while holding fast to principles encapsulates China's evolved approach to economic diplomacy: a blend of strategic patience and firm red lines.

The expectation that these exchanges will inject "positive energy" into global economic growth is not merely rhetorical flourish. The stakes are high, not just for Beijing or Washington, but for a global trading system increasingly strained under the weight of American unilateralism and an inflation-weary international market.

Indeed, the consensus reached in London – following the Geneva talks in May – offers a fragile but real anchor amid the chaos. The emerging consultation mechanism is not only a pressure valve for U.S.-China frictions; it could become a prototype for conflict resolution in a multipolar trade environment.

And that is perhaps the most underappreciated aspect of China's current stance – its quiet, sustained defense of the multilateral trading system. Even as Washington resorts to tariffs as both cudgel and campaign tool, Beijing has stayed its course, offering quality exports, upholding World Trade Organization norms and steadily opening domestic markets to foreign investment. The message is clear: China will not be pushed into isolation nor allow itself to become the scapegoat for American economic anxiety.

The London talks might not have produced a landmark accord, but they represent something more durable: a process. And in the world of global trade, where unpredictability has become the norm, process is progress.

If the U.S. is serious about restoring trust – not only with China but with its other trade partners bruised by its recent tariff crusades – it must embrace the ethos China has brought to the table: dialogue with dignity, negotiations anchored in mutual benefit and commitments that survive the electoral cycle.

Vice Premier He's remarks and China's consistent diplomatic messaging show that Beijing is not only willing to engage, but also to lead through consensus. This posture stands in contrast to the zero-sum mentality that still dominates Washington's economic discourse. In Beijing's calculus, globalization is not a battlefield but a shared space – an imperfect, evolving one, but one worth defending.

As the world looks to the future of trade amid political volatility, climate threats and technological upheaval, the question is no longer whether China and the U.S. can avoid confrontation. The real test is whether the world's two largest economies can move beyond transactional diplomacy and embrace durable, institutionalized cooperation.

For now, London has offered a tentative "yes." Whether Washington treats it as a turning point or another tactical pause remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: China is ready to walk the talk – and the world is watching who takes the next step.

Imran Khalid, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a freelance columnist on international affairs.

习近平向全球文明对话部长级会议致贺信

8013950 8014031