Positive Assessment of Kuala Lumpur Negotiation Outcomes
Consensus on Resuming Communication in Drug Enforcement
Emphasis on Follow-up Implementation of Summit Agreements
The United States and China held a high-level virtual call and agreed to work together to manage bilateral relations in a stable manner. Both sides also reaffirmed their consensus to faithfully implement the agreements reached following last year's summit in Busan.
According to Xinhua News Agency, He Lifeng, Vice Premier of the State Council of China, held a virtual meeting on the 5th (local time) with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Jamison Greer, the US Trade Representative. The two sides discussed advancing "the next stage of substantive cooperation" based on the agreements reached at the US-China summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in Busan last October, as well as the additional call held on the 24th of last month.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are seen leaving the meeting room while conversing after concluding the US-China summit on October 30 at Naraemaru Protocol Hall, Busan Gimhae Air Base. Photo by Yonhap News
The two countries also gave a positive assessment of the outcomes of recent economic and trade negotiations held in Kuala Lumpur. Xinhua reported that both sides agreed on the need to "expand the list of cooperative items and reduce the list of issues, so as to ensure stable improvement in bilateral relations."
Cooperation is resuming not only in the economic sphere but also in drug enforcement. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security stated, "In line with the consensus between the two heads of state, we have achieved results in joint investigations with the United States," adding that "a recent virtual meeting was held to discuss the next phase of cooperation tasks."
Although tensions had escalated to the point where the possibility of a "tariff war" and a "rare earth conflict" were being discussed, the atmosphere has eased since the two countries agreed to a "trade truce" at the summit in Busan last October. At that time, the United States reduced tariffs on Chinese fentanyl-related products from 20% to 10%, and President Trump stated that "President Xi will take active measures to block the inflow of fentanyl."
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