China, US discuss fix to trade feud ahead of Trump-Xi summit

BEIJING: Top Chinese and US negotiators discussed “resolving” trade friction between their economies as they met for talks on Wednesday, setting up a highly anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in South Korea for “economic and trade consultations”, Chinese state media reported.

The two sides held “a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange on resolving economic and trade issues of mutual concern and further expanding practical cooperation”, Xinhua news agency said.

China’s commerce ministry shared the Xinhua report on its official website without elaborating on the issues discussed.

Trade is just one of the thorny issues Trump and Xi are expected to cover when they meet in China on Thursday and Friday.

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

Trump and Xi agreed on a year-long truce at a meeting last October in South Korea, and expanding upon that deal is one potential item on their agenda this week.

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