GENEVA: Top US and Chinese officials wrapped up the first day of talks in Switzerland on Saturday aimed at defusing a trade war that threatens to hammer the global economy and planned to resume negotiations on Sunday, a source close to the discussions said.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met for about eight hours with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Geneva in their first face-to-face meeting since the world’s two largest economies heaped tariffs well above 100pc on each other’s goods.

Neither side made any statements about the substance of the discussions nor signalled any progress towards reducing crushing tariffs as meetings at the residence of Switzerland’s ambassador to the UN concluded at about 8pm local time (1800 GMT).

Bessent, Greer and He were meeting in Geneva after weeks of growing tensions prompted by US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz starting in February and retaliation from Beijing that has brought nearly $600 billion in annual bilateral trade to a virtual standstill.

The trade dispute, combined with Trump’s decision last month to impose duties on dozens of other countries, has disrupted supply........

© Dawn Business