'Sincerity foundation for any new negotiated outcomes,' expert says as China, US set to hold new round of trade talks in London

China and the US are set to hold a new round of trade talks in London next week, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday. A Chinese expert described the upcoming negotiations as a "positive signal" to the world, but noted that any substantive outcomes will hinge on Washington demonstrating "genuine goodwill" and taking concrete steps to address China's concerns.

At the invitation of the UK government, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will visit the UK from June 8 to 13. While in the UK, he will hold the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism with the US side, said a FM spokesperson in a notice posted on the ministry's website on Saturday evening.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent the US in the talks, US president Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social platform without providing further details, according to Reuters.

The talks come after a phone conversation on Thursday between the leaders of both nations. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held phone talks with US President Donald Trump at the latter's request, Xinhua reported.

He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Sunday that China's stance has been consistent: maintaining cooperation while resolving differences through equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, which is also a reflection of the Geneva spirit.

"We hope the London talks will adhere to these principles and achieve further substantive results. However, specific outcomes are hard to predict at this stage, as much will depend on the sincerity of the US side and its willingness to take concrete action," according to He.

China and the US held a high-level trade meeting in Geneva last month, and the two sides announced on May 12 a series of tariff modification measures aimed at easing trade tensions. According to Xinhua, the two sides also agreed to establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations—making the upcoming London meeting its first official session.

"Everything hinges on Washington's sincerity—whether it will take real action to repeal these tariffs and restrictions, which violate WTO rules in the first place. That's the foundation for any new negotiated outcomes," the expert emphasized.

He Weiwen stressed that resolving trade disputes must be a two-way street. The expert urged the US to adopt an approach grounded in "equality, respect, and mutual benefit," avoiding abrupt unilateral moves.