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Holding an oversized carrot, a brawny, shirtless man promotes a supplement he claims can enlarge male genitalia — one of countless AI-generated videos on TikTok peddling unproven sexual treatments.The rise of generative AI has made it easy — and financially lucrative — to mass-produce such videos with minimal human oversight, often featuring fake celebrity endorsements of bogus and potentially harmful products.In some TikTok videos, carrots are used as a euphemism for male genitalia, apparently to evade content moderation policing sexually explicit language.”You would notice that your carrot has grown up,” the muscled man says in a robotic voice in one video, directing users to an online purchase link.”This product will change your life,” the man adds, claiming without evidence that the herbs used as ingredients boost testosterone and send energy levels “through the roof.”The video appears to be AI-generated, according to a deepfake detection service recently launched by the Bay Area-headquartered firm Resemble AI, which shared its results with AFP.”As seen in this example, misleading AI-generated content is being used to market supplements with exaggerated or unverified claims, potentially putting consumers’ health at risk,” Zohaib Ahmed, Resemble AI’s chief executive and co-founder, told AFP.”We’re seeing AI-generated content weaponized to spread false information.”- ‘Cheap way’ -The trend underscores how rapid advances in artificial intelligence have fueled what researchers call an AI dystopia, a deception-filled online universe designed to manipulate unsuspecting users into buying dubious products.They include everything from unverified — and in some cases, potentially harmful — dietary supplements to weight loss products and sexual remedies.”AI is a useful tool for grifters looking to create large volumes of content slop for a low cost,” misinformation researcher Abbie Richards told AFP.”It’s a cheap way to produce advertisements,” she added.Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, has observed a surge of “AI doctor” avatars and audio tracks on TikTok that promote questionable sexual remedies.Some of these videos, many with millions of views, peddle testosterone-boosting concoctions made from ingredients such as lemon, ginger and garlic.More troublingly, rapidly evolving AI tools have enabled the creation of deepfakes impersonating celebrities such as actress Amanda Seyfried and actor Robert De Niro.”Your husband can’t get it up?” Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appears to ask in a TikTok video promoting a prostate supplement.But the clip is a deepfake, using Fauci’s likeness.- ‘Pernicious’ -Many manipulated videos are created from existing ones, modified with AI-generated voices and lip-synced to match what the altered voice says.”The impersonation videos are particularly pernicious as they further degrade our ability to discern authentic accounts online,” Mantzarlis said.Last year, Mantzarlis discovered hundreds of ads on YouTube featuring deepfakes of celebrities — including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Mike Tyson — promoting supplements branded as erectile dysfunction cures.The rapid pace of generating short-form AI videos means that even when tech platforms remove questionable content, near-identical versions quickly reappear — turning moderation into a game of whack-a-mole.Researchers say this creates unique challenges for policing AI-generated content, requiring novel solutions and more sophisticated detection tools.AFP’s fact checkers have repeatedly debunked scam ads on Facebook promoting treatments — including erectile dysfunction cures — that use fake endorsements by Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and former US cabinet member.Yet many users still consider the endorsements legitimate, illustrating the appeal of deepfakes. “Scammy affiliate marketing schemes and questionable sex supplements have existed for as long as the internet and before,” Mantzarlis said.”As with every other bad thing online, generative AI has made this abuse vector cheaper and quicker to deploy at scale.”

A renewed push in Texas to ban Chinese and other non-citizens from purchasing property is almost across the finish line, prompting protests by opponents who claim the measure will stoke discrimination against minorities.The legislation previously failed in 2023, but has gained new steam in the Republican-led state since President Donald Trump’s return to office on a stark anti-immigration and anti-China agenda.The Texas bill, SB 17, bans most non-citizens from countries deemed by the United States to be national security threats from purchasing any property.That list currently includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, but a recent amendment allows Governor Greg Abbott — a close Trump ally — the freedom to add other countries.A sponsor of the bill, State Representative Cole Hefner, claimed the push “is about securing Texas land and natural resources… (from) adversarial nations and oppressive regimes that wish to do us harm.”Hundreds of protesters on Saturday took to the streets in the capital Austin, carrying posters reading “stop the hate” and “housing is a human right.””If you make a law targeting certain people just because of their origin, their country where they come from, that’s racist. This is a racist bill,” said Alice Yi, co-founder of Asian Texans for Justice.”This is our country too,” the 68-year-old added.According to US Census data, Asians represented roughly six percent of the Texas population in 2023 — 1.7 million people out of 31.3 million — but were the fastest growing group in the state.”Not everybody is a spy, not everybody here is associated with… the home country,” said Eileen Huang, 42, with the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition.”A lot of people, they flee from the home country. Why? Because they don’t agree” with the country’s leadership, she added.The top Democrat in the Texas House, Representative Gene Wu, argued that exemptions for lawful permanent residents did not go far enough.”They’ve accepted green card holders and citizens, but the problem is you cannot become a green card holder or a citizen if you do not have a way to show that you can live here permanently,” he told AFP.Wu, who was born in China, said “people don’t know the difference between Asian people, they just see an Asian face.””What this will mean is across the board discrimination against all Asians.”SB 17 passed the House on Friday with several amendments, and must now be passed again in the Senate.With mounting political and economic tensions between Washington and Beijing in recent years, similar bans targeting Chinese land ownership have popped up in multiple other states.Texas itself passed a law in 2021 to bans companies from several nations, including China, from connecting to the power grid.The legislation was passed to block Chinese mogul Sun Guangxin from building a large wind farm in the state.

President Donald Trump unveiled plans Sunday for a new policy on pharmaceuticals he claimed would reduce US prescription drug prices by between 30 and 80 percent. “They will rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA!” Trump wrote in a social media post, adding he planned to sign an executive order bringing the new policy into effect at 9:00 am (1300 GMT) on Monday. Trump said he planned to institute a “MOST FAVORED NATION’S” policy that pinned the cost of drugs sold in the United States to the lowest price paid by other countries for the same drug. The reduction in prescription drug costs in the United States would, he added, be counterbalanced by higher costs in other countries.”Most favored nation” status is a World Trade Organization rule that aims to prevent discrimination between a country and its trading partners, levelling the playing field for international trade. The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for details of the plan.This is not the first time that Trump has attempted to lower US drug prices. During his first 2017-2021 term in office, he announced a similar proposal to cut US drug prices but his plans failed in the face of strong opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. Last month, the US president signed an executive order aiming to lower crippling drug prices by giving states more leeway to bargain-hunt abroad and improving the process for price negotiations.

Donald Trump plans to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One and then continue flying in it after his tenure, despite strict rules on US presidential gifts, media reported Sunday.Calling the plane a “flying palace,” ABC News, which first reported the story, said the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the American government.Qatar swiftly sought to downplay the uproar, saying reports describing the jet as a gift “are inaccurate.””The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense,” said Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attache to Washington, stressing that no decision had been made.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the emoluments clause.But Trump would skirt the law by handing the jet to his presidential library after he leaves office.The plan is to be announced as Trump travels to three Middle East countries this week, including Qatar, reported ABC and The New York Times.Acceptance of the gift has raised ethical questions from both sides of the political aisle as it appears to flout laws set up to stanch government corruption.Laura Loomer, a far-right ally of Trump, said accepting Qatar’s plane would be a “stain” on the administration.”We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits,” she posted on X. “The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members.”The White House and Department of Justice, however, believe the gift is legal and not a bribe because it is not given in exchange for any particular favor or action, sources told ABC.And it is not unconstitutional, they say, because it will first be passed to the US Air Force before being turned over to the presidential library, thereby never being gifted to an individual.The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.- ‘Wildly illegal’ -The Democratic National Committee said the move was proof of Trump using the White House for personal financial gain.”While working families brace for higher costs and empty shelves, Trump is still focusing on enriching himself and his billionaire backers,” the DNC said in an email to supporters.Multiple Democratic lawmakers blasted the plan.Senator Chris Murphy called it “wildly illegal,” while Representative Kelly Morrison said such a gift amounts to “corruption in plain sight” and an unethical “bribe” forbidden by the US Constitution.Trump reportedly toured the Qatari-owned jet in February when it was parked at the Palm Beach International Airport.The US president has long been unhappy with the Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.Earlier this year Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new models.The aerospace giant agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion — both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House at that time.But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back delivery to 2027 and 2028.Although the plane the Qataris are offering is reportedly over 10 years old, a new Boeing 747-8 costs around $400 million, experts said.The aircraft must additionally be outfitted with extensive communications and security upgrades before it becomes Air Force One.

The United States and China on Sunday said progress had been made after a weekend of talks aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff rollout.The increasingly ugly trade spat between Washington and Beijing has rocked financial markets and raised fears of a global economic slowdown, and an inflationary spike in the United States.”We’ve made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Geneva after the second day of discussions.”The talks were productive,” he said, taking no questions but promising a “complete briefing” Monday on the outcome.In a statement Sunday, which did not provide any additional details, the White House hailed what it called a new “trade deal” with China.China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng told reporters the meetings had achieved “substantial progress,” echoing Bessent’s remarks, and described the atmosphere as “candid, in-depth and constructive.” “This is an important first step,” He said, adding there were plans for a joint communique to be published Monday.The two sides have agreed to set up a joint mechanism focused on “regular and irregular communications related to trade and commercial issues,” China’s international trade representative Li Chenggang said at the same briefing. Asked if the communique would arrive before financial markets opened, Li replied: “If the dishes are delicious, timing is not a matter.” “Whenever released, it is going to be big, good news,” he said. The meetings marked the first time senior officials from the world’s two largest economies have met face-to-face over trade since Trump slapped steep new levies on China totalling 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China put 125 percent tariffs on US goods.”These discussions mark a significant step forward and, we hope, bode well for the future,” World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in a statement shortly after her own meeting with He Lifeng.”Amid current global tensions, this progress is important not only for the US and China but also for the rest of the world, including the most vulnerable economies,” she added. – Devil in the details -“It’s definitely encouraging,” Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) vice president Wendy Cutler told AFP after the talks had concluded.”The two sides spent over 15 hours in discussions,” she said. “That’s a long time for two countries to be meeting, and I view that as positive.”Ahead of the meetings at the discrete villa residence of Switzerland’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Trump signalled he might lower the tariffs, suggesting on social media that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally. China would also need to make concessions, she said.The fact the talks are even happening “is good news for business, and for the financial markets”, Gary Hufbauer, a senior non-resident fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in an interview while the talks were ongoing.But Hufbauer cautioned he was “very sceptical that there will be any return to something like normal US-China trade relations”. Even a tariff rate of 70-80 percent would still potentially halve bilateral trade, he said.”The devil will be in the details,” said Cutler from ASPI. “Without the details, it’s hard to assess whether the meeting was successful or not.” – ‘GREAT PROGRESS!!’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by Friday’s news that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.The Geneva meeting comes after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first with any country since he unleashed his blitz of global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal confirmed to nervous investors that Washington is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties. But Trump maintained a 10 percent baseline levy on most British goods.In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump said the talks had made “GREAT PROGRESS!!””We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he added.

When Pope Leo XIV dined out as a bishop in the Peruvian town of Chiclayo, his appetite was big and his tips came in the form of blessings rather than cash, staff recall.The US-born pontiff, who was elected pope in the Vatican City this week, devoted more than 20 years as a missionary in the Andean country and became a Peruvian national in 2015.”We are happy and lucky to have served our current Pope Leo XIV,” said Carlos Lopez, who waited on a younger Robert Prevost at the El Trebol restaurant years before he became pontiff.  He said that Prevost was a regular at the eatery when he was bishop in the northern town between 2015 and 2023.”This was one of the pope’s favorite places. He used to come two or three times a week,” said Lopez.”He had his favorite table here, number three, with a view of the cathedral,” the waiter donning a white shirt, orange tie, and black waistcoat told AFP.”He didn’t tip you, that’s for sure, but he gave you his blessing.”Lopez recounted Prevost as a calm and quiet character who ate well and loved the local cuisine.”He was a very calm person who inspired peace when he spoke, a very humble person,” Lopez said.Chicharron, a dish made from fried chicken or pork belly, and washed down with orange juice and coffee — that was breakfast; lunch was sometimes stewed goat; dinner was chicken broth, Lopez recalled.Prevost also frequented the nearby restaurant of Las Americas where manager Rodrigo Couto said the bishop was “kind and simple” — and also a joker.”Sometimes we got his order wrong, and he would say: ‘God will repay you,'” Couto quipped.

Marvel’s newest superhero film “Thunderbolts*” remained top dog at the North American box office for a second straight weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.The film, starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, raked in an additional $33 million for the three-day period.The 55 percent drop from its debut was a “far better hold than recent Marvel adventures,” entertainment news outlet Variety reported.Seeking to boost interest heading into the second weekend, Marvel revealed that the asterisk in the movie’s name referred to the titular ragtag team of antiheroes becoming the “The New Avengers.”The group will also appear in next year’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” which Marvel and parent Disney hope will repeat the epic performance of its predecessors.The Warner Bros. period vampire thriller “Sinners” also maintained its second place, taking in another $21.1 million for a total domestic haul of $180 million.Director Ryan Coogler’s first original film, starring Michael B. Jordan, continued to benefit from rave reviews.”A Minecraft Movie” also held onto its third place position, raking in an additional $8.0 million to bring its domestic haul over $400 million.The Warner Bros. live-action film starring Jack Black and Jason Mamoa has made over $900 million globally, continuing a trend of highly successful video game adaptations.Fourth place went again to Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Accountant 2,” at $6.1 million. Ben Affleck plays a neurodivergent math genius with criminal ties, and Jon Bernthal is his hit man brother.New release “Clown in a Cornfield” took fifth place with $3.7 million.”This is a solid opening for an indie horror film, particularly for a micro-budget production,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.Rounding out the top 10 were:”Shadow Force” ($2.0 million)”Fight or Flight” ($2.0 million)”Until Dawn” ($2.0 million)”The Amateur” ($2.0 million)”The King of Kings” ($1.1 million)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he would be willing to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Turkey “personally”, after Donald Trump said direct talks were needed to determine whether peace was possible.The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Zelensky’s offer, and the Ukrainian leader did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Kyiv and its allies on Saturday.Moscow and Kyiv have not held face-to-face negotiations since March 2022, shortly after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.”We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelensky said in a post on X.”There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” he added.In the early hours of Sunday, Putin proposed to resume the talks between the two sides held in Istanbul in March 2022. But he did not respond to the 30-day ceasefire proposal put forward by Kyiv’s allies.US President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform earlier: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH.””Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”- Allies urge truce -Kyiv and its Western allies have said an unconditional ceasefire to pause the fighting is the only way to advance a diplomatic solution in three-year war — Europe’s worst since the Second World War.Russia’s assault has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the destruction of Ukrainian cities and a collapse in relations between Moscow and the West.On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday the leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland pressured Russia — with Trump’s support — to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting from Monday. Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak suggested Zelensky would only come to the table if Moscow agreed to the ceasefire from Monday.French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo this, insisting on the “necessity” of a ceasefire before talks, the Elysee said in a statement Sunday evening.In their last meeting in Istanbul in March 2022, Russia and Ukraine produced a now-aborted peace proposal that would have forced Kyiv to adopt neutral status and renounce any NATO ambitions.Since then, communication channels have only been open for exchanges of prisoners of war and bodies.- Putin denounces ‘ultimatums’ -Putin’s proposal early Sunday, ignoring the 30-day ceasefire proposal, focussed on a return to those Istanbul talks.”We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions,” he said.”We propose to start (negotiations) without delay on Thursday May 15 in Istanbul,” Putin said.”We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” the Russian leader added. But he also accused Ukraine’s Western backers of wanting to “continue war with Russia”.And without mentioning the specific proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, he slammed European “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric”.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Putin in a phone call Sunday that Ankara was ready to host talks “aimed at achieving a lasting solution”.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia’s offer to negotiate directly was a “good sign” but “far from sufficient”, pressuring Moscow to agree to a truce.

Donald Trump intends to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One then continue flying in it after his tenure, despite strict rules on US presidential gifts, media reported Sunday.Calling the plane a “flying palace,” ABC News, which first reported the story, said the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the US government.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the emoluments clause.But Trump plans to skirt the law by handing it over to his presidential library as he leaves office.The plan is to be announced as Trump travels to three countries in the Middle East this week, including Qatar, both ABC and the New York Times said.Acceptance of the gift raises strong ethical questions, as it appears to flout laws set up to stanch government corruption.However the White House and Department of justice consider that the gift is within the limits of the law because it is not given in exchange for any particular favor or action, which they say means it is therefore not a bribe, according to sources who spoke to ABC.And it is not unconstitutional, they say, because it will first be passed to the US Air Force before being turned over to the presidential library, thereby never being gifted to any one individual.The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.The Democratic National Committee said the move was proof of Trump using the White House for personal financial gain.”While working families brace for higher costs and empty shelves, Trump is still focusing on enriching himself and his billionaire backers,” the DNC said in an email to supporters.Trump reportedly toured the Qatari-owned jet in February when it was parked at the Palm Beach International Airport, the publications said.The US president has long been unhappy with the planes that constitute Air Force One — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.He earlier this year said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new models.The US aerospace giant agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion — both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House at that time.But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back the delivery date to 2027 and 2028.Although the plane the Qataris are offering to Trump is reportedly over 10 years old, a new Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million, experts said.The aircraft must additionally be outfitted with extensive bells and whistles to become Air Force One.

Washington expressed optimism at the end of a weekend of trade talks with China aimed to de-escalate trade tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff rollout.”I’m happy to report that we’ve made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Geneva.”The talks were productive,” he said, taking no questions from the media, but promising a “complete briefing” on the outcome of the talks on Monday.Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who also took part in the two days of closed-door talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, sais that the differences between the sides were “not so large as maybe thought”.After the first day of negotiations, Trump had posted on Truth Social that the discussions had been “very good”, describing them as “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner”.Beijing had yet to comment Sunday, but on Saturday Chinese state news agency Xinhua described the talks as “an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue”.The Chinese delegation was expected to speak to the media Sunday evening.The meetings marked the first time senior officials from the world’s two largest economies have met face-to-face to tackle the topic of trade since Trump slapped steep new levies on China last month, sparking a robust retaliation from Beijing. – Tariffs ‘lose-lose’ -“The talks reflect that the current state of the trade relations with these extremely high tariffs is ultimately in the interests of neither the United States nor China,”, Citigroup global chief economist Nathan Sheets told AFP. He called the tariffs a “lose-lose proposition”.The tariffs imposed by Trump on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.In retaliation, China put 125-percent tariffs on US goods.Ahead of the meeting at the discrete villa residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Trump signalled he might lower the tariffs, suggesting on social media that an “80% Tariff on China seems right!”However, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the United States would not lower tariffs unilaterally. China would also need to make concessions, she said.Going into the meeting, both sides played down expectations of a major change in trade relations.Bessent underlined a focus on “de-escalation” and not a “big trade deal”, while Beijing insisted that the United States had to ease tariffs first.The fact the talks are even happening “is good news for business, and for the financial markets”, said Gary Hufbauer, a senior non-resident fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).But Hufbauer cautioned he was “very sceptical that there will be any return to something like normal US-China trade relations”. Even a tariff rate of 70 to 80 percent would still potentially halve bilateral trade, he said.- China ‘better equipped’ – China’s vice premier went into the discussions buoyed by Friday’s news that China’s exports rose last month despite the trade war.The unexpected development was attributed by experts to a re-routing of trade to Southeast Asia to mitigate US tariffs.Among some of the more moderate Trump officials, such as Bessent and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, “there’s a realisation that China is better equipped to deal with this trade war than the US,” said Hufbauer.The Geneva meeting comes after Trump unveiled a trade agreement with Britain, the first deal with any country since he unleashed his blitz of global tariffs.The five-page, non-binding deal confirmed to nervous investors that the United States is willing to negotiate sector-specific relief from recent duties. But he maintained a 10-percent baseline levy on most British goods.Following the US-UK trade announcement, analysts have voiced pessimism about the likelihood negotiations will lead to any significant changes in the US-China trade relationship.”It’s nice that they’re talking. But my expectations for the actual outcomes of this first round of talks is pretty limited,” Sheets from Citigroup said.In his Truth Social post, Trump said the talks had made “GREAT PROGRESS!!””We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he added.