China vice premier to visit US ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Vice Premier He Lifeng, China's top negotiator for trade, will visit the United States for talks ahead of a summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, state media said Saturday.

The leaders of the world's two biggest economies are due to meet at the White House on September 24 in a bid to ease tensions over trade, technology and broader strategic issues.

While both sides have maintained a tariff truce for nearly a year, they have yet to secure a lasting agreement.

He will lead a Chinese delegation to the United States from September 19 to 23 for consultations on "economic and trade issues of mutual concern", the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing the commerce ministry.

The talks will be guided by the "important consensus" reached by the two leaders, according to the ministry.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week he would meet He over the weekend.

Bessent suggested the discussions could also touch on Iran, whose close economic ties with China have long been a source of friction between Washington and Beijing.

But trade issues are expected to take centre stage when Xi and Trump meet.

The world's two largest economies reached a fragile truce in October 2025 after months of tariff tensions triggered by Trump following his return to the White House.

The agreement helped cool fears of a damaging trade escalation, but negotiators on both sides have yet to reach a comprehensive settlement, leaving key disputes unresolved.