TMTPOST --   China on Friday confirmed the high-level talks   with the United States next   week, focusing on   not just trade war but   TikTok, the popular short video   application owned   by Chinese   tech   giant ByteDance.

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  As agreed by China and the United States, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will go to Spain to engage in talks with the U.S. counterparts,   a spokesperson for   the Ministry of Commerce   ( MOFCOM )   on Friday   responded to   a   query   on news about a high-level meeting between He   and U.S.   Treasury Secretary Scott   Bessent.

He   will lead a delegation to Spain from September 14 to 17 to hold talks, the spokesperson said   in a   statement released   by the ministry.   The two parties will discuss economic and trade issues such as the U.S. unilateral tariff measures, the abuse of export controls and TikTok, according to the spokesperson.

China ’ s stance,   which   is clear and consistent,   is that China is firmly committed to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and will handle the TikTok issue in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations,   the spokesperson highlighted when   asked   for more details about the TikTok issue,   the   state   news agency Xinhua reported.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to data privacy and security and has never requested, nor will it request, any enterprise or individual to collect or provide data located abroad to the Chinese government in violation of local laws,   the   spokesperson said.

Ahead of the high-level China-U.S.   talks, Beijing urged   Washington to work together to address   respective concerns through dialogue based on mutual respect and equal consultation, and find solutions that ensure an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, including TikTok, to continue operations in the United States, according to the spokesperson. Such cooperation   will promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, the spokesperson said.

The U.S.   Department   of Treasury   a day earlier announced   Bessent will travel to Britain   and Spain   from   Septermber 12   to 18,   and during the   visit, he will meet   with senior Chinese   representatives, including   He,   in   Madrid. They will discuss   key national security, economic, and trade issues of mutual interest, including TikTok and cooperating on money laundering networks that threaten both   countries,   the department said in a press   release.  

The meeting will   be the fourth round   discussion between He and Bessent   in four months.    

Through the first round   of trade talks   in   Geneva, Beijing   and Washington   on May 12 reached an   agreement   on   their trade war truce   for 90 days, with the   U.S.   and   China   agreeing to   each lower tariffs   by 115%.   From mid-May, the   U.S.   dropped   its tariffs on   most Chinese   goods to   30%   from   145%, while China   cut its   125%   levies to 10%.  

After the latest round of U.S.-China trade talks in Stockholm from July 28 to 29, China and the U.S. agreed   to further extend   the   truce by 90 days,   pushing for the continued extension of the pause on 24% of reciprocal tariffs of the U.S. side, as well as counter measures of the Chinese side.

During the   talks   in Stockholm, the two sides held candid, in-depth and constructive discussions on China-U.S. economic and trade relations, macroeconomic policies, and other trade and economic issues of mutual interest, Xinhua   reported   on   July   29. It cited   He Lifeng, leader of the Chinese delegation, that the U.S. should work with China to continue to enhance consensus, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation, further deepen dialogue and consultations, and strive for more win-win outcomes.

Bessent in a press following the talks   on July   29   said that U.S. negotiators in the meeting expressed their concern about Chinese overcapacity globally and China ’ s purchases of sanctioned Iranian oil. They also expressed their regret for they believed China had sold Russia about 15 billion of dual-use technologies. "But the overall tone of the meeting was very constructive,"   he added.

Bessent said the U.S. delegation reiterated they don ’ t want to decouple from China and they just need to de-risk with certain strategic industries, such as the rare earth and semiconductors.  

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer,   alongside Bessent,   said the U.S. officials confirmed the implementation of what was agreed in the second round of talks in   London in terms of accelerating the flow of rare earth magnets from China to U.S. companies, and then they ’ re able to further discuss how to make sure the entire U.S. supply chain, including those going through third countries could be accelerated.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who launched a TikTok account last month, has extended a deadline for TikTok to divest its U.S. assets three   times   during his second term, and the next deadline is September 17, or next Wednesday.