The economic talks come as Washington and Beijing have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic outreach this week, smoothing the path for a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.
Top defence and foreign policy officials from both sides held what the US characterised as “candid and constructive” conversations. With Xi and Trump expected to attend a summit in South Korea next month, the exchanges may smooth the path to their first face-to-face encounter since Trump returned to office.Also Read: Meta, TikTok win challenge against EU tech fees, forcing regulators to recalculate
The planned dialogue between Bessent and He is part of a September 12-18 trip that the US official is making to Spain and Britain, where he’s scheduled to meet his counterparts. Bessent’s plan was earlier reported by Reuters.
The timing is particularly delicate for the world’s two largest economies, as a 90-day tariff truce between the nations is set to expire in early November. The temporary agreement has prevented levies from escalating to sky-high levels, but its expiration looms as a potential flashpoint for renewed economic warfare.
Trump has maintained his tough stance on trade, telling European officials this week he’s willing to impose sweeping new tariffs on China over its support for Russia. Such moves could derail the diplomatic progress and complicate efforts to reach any broader trade agreement.
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