China and US Reach ‘Initial Consensus’ in Trade Talks Held in Malaysia
China has announced that it reached an ‘initial consensus’ with the United States during trade discussions held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Li Chenggang, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and senior trade negotiator, said on Sunday that although Washington had taken a firm stance during the recent talks, Beijing had also firmly defended its own interests.
He stated that the negotiations involved candid and in-depth discussions on economic matters between the two nations. According to Chenggang, the talks are part of broader efforts to ease trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
In an official statement, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed that both sides agreed to maintain economic and trade cooperation and to make better use of the existing bilateral consultation mechanisms.
The ministry emphasized that both parties would work towards developing economic and trade relations in a stable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial manner for the people of both countries as well as the global community.
The negotiations took place between high-level delegations from October 25 to 26 in Malaysia. The Chinese delegation was led by He Lifeng, China’s Vice Premier, while the US delegation was headed by Scott Besent, the United States Secretary of the Treasury.
At a time when Afghanistan remains isolated due to the Taliban’s restrictive policies and lack of constructive engagement with the international community, such negotiations between global rivals highlight the importance of active diplomacy in international relations—a dimension significantly lacking for the Afghan people, who continue to bear the cost of this absence.
