US Treasury's Bessent, China's He to launch talks on AI, trade, critical minerals

The Manhattan meeting comes days before US President Donald Trump is due to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in Washington.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng shake hands during trade talks at OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) headquarters in Paris, France, Mar 16, 2026. (Photo: Handout via REUTERS/The US Treasury)

NEW YORK: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are set to meet on Sunday (Sep 20) to try to tee up potential agreements on artificial intelligence, tariffs and critical minerals for a high-stakes Washington summit this week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The meetings at JP Morgan Chase's headquarters in Manhattan, which also will include US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, are due to start at about 10.30am local time (10.30pm Singapore time) and are expected to run all day.