US Treasury Chief Praises Japan's Economy, Warns on China Trade

The top financial official of the United States is giving his verdict on the global economy — and he has praise for Japan but concerns about China.

At a meeting of the G20 (a group of the world's 20 largest economies, where finance leaders gather to discuss money and trade issues), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared his views on what different countries are doing right and wrong.

Here are his main points:

• Japan is on the right track. Bessent said he believes Japan is "taking the right steps" to strengthen its economy.
• Growth is a big question mark. He noted that G20 ministers all want more economic growth, but it's unclear whether they'll actually take the actions needed to achieve it.
• Imbalances are a problem. He warned that some countries are creating "imbalances" (situations where one country exports far more than it imports), which drags down growth for everyone else.
• China is the focus. Bessent said the rest of the world needs to protect its trade and factory jobs from China's exports (the huge volume of goods China sells abroad, often at low prices).

Why does this matter to ordinary people? When a country like China floods the world with cheap products, factories in other countries can struggle to compete. That can lead to job losses in manufacturing. Bessent is essentially calling on other nations to defend their own workers.

The article also mentions that China's President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Trump in the United States on September 24, 2026 — though that date is still tentative and could change.

The bottom line: The US Treasury Secretary is signaling approval of Japan's direction while pushing the world to take stronger action against trade imbalances driven by China. These are the kinds of tensions that can affect global trade, currencies, and jobs for years to come.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://investinglive.com/news/us-treas-sec-bessent-i-think-japan-is-taking-right-steps-for-economy/