US-China trade talks rush deals ahead of Trump’s Beijing summit
Bessent and He meet in Seoul this week for quick deals.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are set to meet in Seoul this week in a hastily arranged round of trade talks aimed at securing quick agreements before President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing later this month. The meeting, confirmed by both sides, is the latest in a series of diplomatic sprints intended to stabilize the US–China economic relationship — the world’s most consequential bilateral trade dynamic. Bessent will first travel to Tokyo on Tuesday to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, then head to Seoul for Wednesday’s talks with He.
Analysts say the compressed timeline reflects Washington’s desire to produce tangible deliverables for Trump to sign during his first state visit to China since 2017. However, the rush will likely prevent a broad, comprehensive agreement. “I’d blame the United States for this hasty meeting. Its attention was diverted by Iran until very recently,” said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. The so-called “3 Bs” — likely referring to Boeing, business visas, and bilateral investment — may be on the table, though details remain sparse. The talks underscore the persistent tension between strategic competition and economic interdependence, as both sides scramble for quick wins while deeper structural issues remain unresolved.
- Bessent and He meet in Seoul on Wednesday after Bessent’s Tokyo stop with Japan’s PM Takaichi.
- Rushed timeline driven by Trump’s upcoming Beijing visit and recent US focus on Iran.
- Analysts expect only modest ‘quick deals’ — not a wide-ranging agreement — with the ‘3 Bs’ possibly in play.
Why It Matters
The outcome of these rushed talks will signal the near-term trajectory of US–China trade and investment relations.