Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on legacy media programs Sunday to announce a significant development in U.S.-China trade relations. He revealed that he and his Chinese negotiating counterpart had reached an agreement on export controls for rare earth minerals. This deal would lead to the United States not imposing 100 percent tariffs on China.
Secretary Bessent described the trade negotiations with China as “very productive.” The agreement was intended to pave the way for President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping during the week’s summit in South Korea.
However, NBC’s Kirsten Welker was caught off guard by Bessent’s unexpectedly positive announcement about the trade talks. Because her pre-prepared script did not account for this development, there was a noticeable disconnect during the interview.
As Secretary Bessent broke the news about the new U.S.-China trade agreement, Welker’s follow-up questions did not align with the announcement. She continued to ask about tariffs and rare earth minerals even after Bessent clarified that a deal had been reached to avoid tariffs and secure continued access to rare earth minerals.
Welker pressed on with questions about ongoing U.S.-China trade conflicts. At one point, Bessent had to emphasize, “Can you not hear me? The trade friction is resolved.” Realizing the disconnect, Welker eventually abandoned her script and shifted the conversation to questions about Canada.
WATCH the full exchange to see this unexpected moment unfold.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/10/26/sunday-talks-secretary-scott-bessent-makes-u-s-china-trade-announcement-the-media-were-unprepared-to-hear/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sunday-talks-secretary-scott-bessent-makes-u-s-china-trade-announcement-the-media-were-unprepared-to-hear