Top U.S., China negotiators to hold final preparatory talks ahead of Trump-Xi summit
U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in Washington to finalize trade and tariff discussions ahead of a planned summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping. These talks occur amid new U.S. sanctions targeting countries that purchase Russian energy.
Why it matters
The meeting is critical for stabilizing U.S.-China economic relations and navigating the geopolitical fallout of new sanctions on Russian energy exports.
Top U.S. and Chinese negotiators will hold final preparatory talks in Washington from Saturday (September 19, 2026), including on tariffs, ahead of President Xi Jinping's expected visit to the United States for a summit with his counterpart Donald Trump, the Commerce Ministry in Beijing said.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead a delegation to Washington from September 19 to 23, where the two sides will discuss economic and trade issues of mutual concern, guided by the consensus reached by Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump, the Ministry said.
The talks come ahead of Mr. Xi's expected visit to Washington next week. Although Beijing is yet to officially announce the trip, U.S. media reports have said that Mr. Xi is expected to arrive on September 23 and meet Mr. Trump the following day.
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