US officials discussed rare earths, farm products with China, Bessent says
SPY•U.S. officials press China on rare earths and farm products
WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. officials told Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Thursday that they expect Beijing to honor its commitments on rare earths and agricultural products, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as the two sides prepare for a leaders' meeting in September.
Bessent said he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke with He in advance of the next meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"In our discussion, I emphasized that we expect Beijing to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products," Bessent said in a post on X.
"We also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a mechanism to secure concrete progress toward a more balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship."
Chinese state agency Xinhua earlier reported that the two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges.
China agreed to address concerns around shortages of rare earths and other critical minerals when Trump and Xi met in Beijing in May. China also committed to buying at least $17 billion of U.S. agricultural products through 2028, the White House said.
