US Treasury Secretary: China is an ‘untrustworthy partner’ in many ways.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in an interview that China has been an “unreliable partner” in many areas and that the US must be freed from dependence on China’s control over vital resources such as rare earths.

Besant’s comments come as the framework for a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies has yet to be finalized in writing, but the tone on both sides has become increasingly heated. This situation has raised concerns about the sustainability of the agreement and the possibility of a return to trade tensions.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had reached a framework for a trade deal with China, which included a one-year truce on controls on exports of rare earths and some chip technologies, as well as a commitment by China to buy soybeans from the U.S.

However, just a day later, Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged countries around the world not to side with the US in the current trade dispute at a summit in Asia.

Besant said on a television program: “We don’t want to be separated from China, but we need to reduce the risks. “China has shown itself to be an unreliable partner in many areas.”

He stressed that the biggest problem is the world’s dependence on China’s control of rare earth elements, which are critical to hundreds of advanced products.

“This is not just about America; China has exercised this control over the entire world, and now the entire world is reacting,” Besant added.