U.S. and China Hold Talks in Madrid Amid Tensions Over Trade, TikTok, and Russian Oil

• High-level U.S. and Chinese officials convened on September 14, 2025, to deliberate over key economic and geopolitical issues.
• Discussions centered on TikTok’s U.S. divestment deadline, tariff policies on Russian oil imports, and ongoing trade dynamics.

On September 14, 2025, U.S. and Chinese delegations gathered in Madrid to address pressing economic and geopolitical concerns in a meeting that included U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer alongside Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and lead trade negotiator Li Chenggang. This marked the fourth such high-level meeting in the span of four months.

Key points of debate revolved around the deadline for ByteDance, parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. operations—currently set for September 17 but likely to be extended yet again. The inclusion of TikTok in the agenda underscores the increasing regulatory scrutiny over foreign ownership and data security implications.

Additionally, the U.S. sought to rally support among G7 allies to impose tariffs on goods from China and India due to their continued imports of Russian oil, asserting that these transactions erode joint efforts to curb revenues bolstering Russia’s wartime economy. The Biden administration has already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports and is weighing similar measures against Chinese goods to heighten pressure.

The discussions transpired amidst a 90-day trade pause launched in mid-August, which temporarily suspended select tariffs and reopened rare-earth exports from China to the U.S. This pause has created a short-lived opportunity for de-escalation, though broader tariffs remain in effect, including President Donald Trump’s extension of 55% tariffs on Chinese goods until November 10.

China’s Ministry of Commerce expressed a willingness to engage with U.S. complaints but also emphasized its dissatisfaction with ongoing tariffs, export bans, and tech-sector restrictions. Talks also addressed coordination on anti-money-laundering measures, particularly U.S. concerns over the illicit transfer of sensitive technologies to Russia.

As of September 14, 2025, 10:00 UTC, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $26,742, reflecting a 1.9% increase in 24-hour trading volume, while Ethereum (ETH) is trading at $1,646 with a 1.7% uptick, according to CoinMarketCap.