Bessent and He meet again to tackle ‘some unfinished business’ as Xi summit nears
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held an unscheduled meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Washington on Wednesday, hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to arrive for a state visit. “We had some unfinished business from Sunday. We want strategic stability, but it has to be based on reciprocity and fairness,” Bessent told Fox News on his way to the meeting. The talks are…
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng convened an impromptu conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, just before Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to embark on his state visit. Bessent informed Fox News that they were following up on matters left unresolved from their discussions on Sunday.
To Bessent, strategic stability could only be achieved through mutually beneficial terms. The meeting took place at the World Bank headquarters and followed a prior session at JPMorgan's New York offices, where the two leaders engaged for eight hours. The recent talks culminated in the establishment of a dialogue on artificial intelligence and the establishment of a bilateral trade body.
This encounter is unfolding amidst ongoing disagreements between Washington and Beijing over extending the Busan trade agreement and the potential involvement of Chinese businesses in the upcoming Chinese delegation. Reports suggest that disagreements over the Board of Investment, particularly regarding possible Chinese investments in the United States, are complicating matters and raising concerns about the delegation's participation.
Regarding the AI dialogue, Bessent outlined a proposed notification mechanism and the pursuit of a shared vision of common goals and threats.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
