China and US hold trade talks ahead of Trump visit

Delegations from China and the United States held trade discussions in South Korea on Wednesday, just hours before US President Donald Trump was scheduled to arrive in Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese leadership.

According to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News Agency, the talks took place at Incheon International Airport near Seoul. Further details regarding the discussions were not immediately disclosed.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier confirmed that he would meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with both officials having previously led negotiations between the two countries on trade and economic issues.

Analysts expect the meeting to help finalize economic understandings and possible announcements ahead of Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.

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Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have remained a major issue in recent years after both countries imposed retaliatory tariffs on each other’s exports, with duties exceeding 100 percent on some products. However, Trump and Xi agreed to a one-year tariff truce during their previous meeting in South Korea last year.

Ahead of the latest talks, Scott Bessent stated that “economic security is national security,” emphasizing the importance of strengthening American economic interests during negotiations with China.

Following the South Korea meetings, Bessent is expected to travel to Beijing alongside the US delegation for the Trump-Xi summit.

Several prominent American business leaders are also accompanying the US president to China, including Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, reflecting the growing importance of business and technology ties in US-China relations.