A high-level Chinese delegation led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng arrived in Madrid on Sunday, marking the start of a new round of China-US trade talks. From Washington's unilateral tariffs, to the politically motivated restrictions on TikTok from the Biden administration, to the frequent use of export controls against Chinese firms, the agenda is as thorny as ever.

Tariffs are perhaps the most visible symbol of the strain. Since President Donald Trump's previous term in 2017, tariffs, either imposed or threatened as leverage, have been wielded as a blunt instrument. Even during former president Joe Biden's tenure, much of Trump's tariff regime remained intact, which shows how entrenched tariffs have become as a convenient economic weapon in Washington's policy toolbox.

Equally contentious is TikTok, which has over 135 million users in the United States. In spite of China's repeated statement that it has never and will never require any enterprise or individual to violate local laws to collect or provide data located outside China for the Chinese government, US politicians have chosen to act on the so-called concern of privacy. They signed in 2024 the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law directly targeting the popular social platform.

As for the abuse of export control, the US Department of Commerce announced on Sept 12, just two days before the Madrid talks began, that it was placing several additional Chinese entities on its export control list. The measures, under the name of "protecting" US technology and security, are regarded in China as acts of economic containment.

Despite all the tangle of overlapping grievances, the ongoing talks in Madrid signal an important truth that dialogue is still valued. This message was echoed earlier this year by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who urged the creation of more channels for communication and consultation. As he observed, both countries need to view each other objectively, rationally, and pragmatically, developing the right strategic perception. History shows that miscalculations most often occur in the absence of direct dialogue.

At a time when global economic recovery depends heavily on stability between the US and China, even modest steps forward will reverberate far beyond Madrid.