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China-US trade talks begin in South Korea ahead of presidents’ summit

Scott Bessen He Lifeng featured image

Delegations from China and the United States met for trade talks in South Korea, Chinese state media reported Wednesday, hours before US President Donald Trump is due to arrive in Beijing.

From left: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Photos: Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, via Flickr; World Economic Forum, via Flickr.
From left: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Photos: Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, via Flickr; World Economic Forum, via Flickr.

The talks were taking place at Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, Xinhua news agency said, without providing further details.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said he would be meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, both of whom have led previous rounds of negotiations.

The officials are likely to put the finishing touches on any announcements made during Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

See also: Trump brushes aside Taiwan concerns ahead of meeting with Xi

Washington and Beijing last year slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on each other’s exports, with levies exceeding 100 percent.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent (left) and Chinese Vice  Premier He Lifeng in Seoul on May 13, 2026. Photo: SecScottBessent, via X.
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent (left) and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Seoul on May 13, 2026. Photo: SecScottBessent, via X.

Trump and Xi agreed on a year-long trade truce at their October meeting in South Korea.

“Economic security is national security,” Bessent said as he announced his South Korea trip on social media.

Bessent will then travel to Beijing for the Trump-Xi summit, he added.

More than a dozen business executives including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk are also travelling to China with Trump.

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