On Tuesday, July 29, the third round of trade negotiations between the United States and China concluded in Stockholm, Sweden with no significant progress. The extension of the truce in the US-China tariff war will depend on the decision of US President Trump. Following the talks, US chief negotiator and Treasury Secretary, Besent, spoke to the media.
Reports from foreign media indicated that Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, was planning to visit South American allies, but the US refused her transit through New York due to protests from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). CNBC reporter Eamon Javers questioned Besent about whether the TikTok issue was part of the negotiations and if the refusal of Tsai’s transit was related to the US’s desire to reach a trade agreement with China.
In response, Besent stated that the main focus of the US-China talks was on trade and did not involve Tsai’s itinerary. He emphasized that the looming August 1 deadline for the truce on tariffs was a significant factor in the negotiations.
“This gives us great negotiation flexibility. Therefore, the TikTok issue was not discussed. We carefully separate trade from national security. So, the Taiwanese President’s travel has no relevance to our negotiations,” Besent said.
The Financial Times reported that Tsai is scheduled to visit South American allies in August, transiting through the US, including New York. However, the US informed Tsai that she could not transit through New York during her trip to prevent any impact on the US-China trade negotiations and a potential summit between President Trump and CCP leader Xi Jinping.
Senior trade officials from the US and China conducted the third round of trade negotiations in Stockholm from Monday to Tuesday.
The US State Department stated on Tuesday that Taiwan had not announced any travel plans for President Tsai Ing-wen, so they would not comment on any hypothetical situations. It emphasized that the transit of high-ranking Taiwanese officials, including the President, aligns with US policy, and the US remains committed to the “One China” policy.
During a routine press briefing on Tuesday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson and Executive Director of the Public Diplomacy Coordinating Council, Xiao Guangwei, was asked by the media about the validity of the US rejecting Tsai’s transit through New York, the cancellation of her August travel plans, and whether the decision was influenced by the mainland Chinese government. Xiao explicitly stated that there was no situation where the US denied Tsai’s transit.
He clarified, “Considering the post-disaster recovery efforts in the southern region, ongoing tariff negotiations on equal footing with the US, and so on, the President has no overseas travel plans in the near future. There is no postponement, cancellation, or disagreement from the US regarding transit.”
On Monday evening, President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, stating that he was not seeking a summit with Xi Jinping unless invited, and he would only consider visiting China if invited.
He wrote, “Fake news reports claim that I am seeking a ‘summit’ with CCP Chairman Xi Jinping. This is inaccurate; I am not seeking anything!”