US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday expressed confidence about progress in trade discussions with China, even as tensions between the two sides deepened over Beijing's restrictions on rare earth exports. Bessent, speaking at an event hosted by CNBC, confirmed that US President Donald Trump still planned to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping "in the near future," with the meeting expected to take place at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month.

Despite recent strains in bilateral relations, Bessent maintained that "President Trump is a 'go' on that," emphasising to CNBC that both leaders share "an excellent relationship." Earlier in the event, Bessent said he was "optimistic" about the ongoing talks with Beijing, noting that "we are now co

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