Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have been making vaguely conciliatory comments about the administration’s approach to China. The former said this week that his tariffs will eventually “come down substantially” and that he won’t play hardball with Beijing.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown with China is unsustainable and expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes the United States’s trade war with China will wind down soon. Bessent gave the remarks in a private speech in Washington, D.C., for JPMorgan Chase, adding that the conflict is not “sustainable.