Arabic version: بيسنت وهي يعقدان محادثات قبل قمة ترامب وشي

According to Cnbc, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States and a Sept. 24 summit with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. The discussions are expected to address artificial intelligence, tariffs, rare earths and other economic issues.

Bessent said in a post to X that he and He were continuing discussions on the U.S.-China economic and trade relationship ahead of Trump’s summit with Xi. He said the talks would help lay groundwork for Trump to advance U.S. economic interests and deliver results for Americans.

Speaking briefly to reporters before the meeting at JPMorgan Chase in New York, Bessent said he expected “focused, fulsome and constructive talks” that would set the stage for the leaders’ meeting. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also expected to participate.

The talks take place as Washington and Beijing compete for technological leadership and as debate in Washington intensifies over AI safety and national security. The Trump administration has favored voluntary, national-security-focused safeguards rather than broad mandatory rules for AI developers. AI is expected to be part of the discussions during Xi’s visit.

Trade and tariffs are also likely to feature at the summit. Washington’s suspension of higher reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports is scheduled to expire Nov. 10. The current U.S.-China trade truce includes Chinese commitments on rare-earth exports and U.S. agricultural purchases, while the Trump administration reduced some tariffs and suspended higher reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods.