Bessent Tells China to Honor Trade Deals After Talks With He Lifeng

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is turning up the heat on Beijing. He called on China to immediately honor its trade commitments, according to Cointelegraph. That demand came wrapped in a warning: Washington is raising concerns about recent Chinese actions.

The pressure follows talks between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Those discussions set the stage, and now the Treasury chief is signaling that follow-through is in question. The report did not spell out which specific commitments or which Chinese moves are at the center of the concern.

That gap matters. Trade commitments between the world's two largest economies ripple through supply chains, currencies and markets everywhere. When a sitting Treasury secretary publicly questions whether the other side is living up to its word, it lands as more than a diplomatic formality.

There was no immediate public response from Chinese officials in the report. For now, the ball reads as being in Beijing's court, with Bessent making the ask in the open rather than behind closed doors.