What a 2-month trade-truce extension between China and the US reveals as rifts persist
Por Sylvia Ma,Frank Chen — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement 2026 Xi-Trump summits Economy Global Economy What a 2-month trade-truce extension between China and the US reveals as rifts persist
Analysts say that the relatively short window, while a positive sign, could also raise pressure on both Beijing and Washington
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Sylvia Ma in Shanghai and Frank Chen in Shanghai Published: 6:30pm, 24 Sep 2026 Updated: 6:33pm, 24 Sep 2026
An extension of the US-China trade truce, agreed upon at an unscheduled meeting between the two countries’ top economic officials, underscores a willingness to contain trade tensions, according to analysts who deemed it a positive signal for this week’s presidential summit.
While the rollover extends the truce by only two months, the analysts said it provided businesses with a measure of short-term certainty while raising the stakes for the next round of talks to determine whether the truce can be sustained. Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held the unscheduled meeting in Washington on Wednesday ahead of a sit-down between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Afterwards, the two sides agreed to extend the trade truce – reached in October in Busan, South Korea – pushing the deadline from November 2026 to January, Bessent told Fox News.
Zhu Tian, an economics professor and vice-president at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, said the extension was still an encouraging sign for the numerous businesses with a stake in China-US trade.
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