Bessent to meet He before Trump-Xi summit
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that he will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend, days before a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the United States next week. Bessent made the disclosure during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, where he said recent private discussions with China had been productive and would continue in person. The meeting is expected to serve as the final preparatory round before the leaders' summit, with Iran-related financial links and broader economic outcomes on the agenda. South China Morning Post also reported that artificial intelligence safety and governance discussions are likely to be incorporated into the wider economic talks led by Bessent and He
Key Points
- Bessent told lawmakers on Tuesday he would meet He Lifeng this weekend before Trump and Xi are expected to meet in the US next week.
- He made the announcement during a House Financial Services Committee hearing while answering questions about alleged Chinese banking links to Iran-related transactions.
- Bessent said Washington and Beijing had held “very good private discussions” and he expected those talks to continue through the weekend meeting and Xi’s state visit
- The two presidents are expected to meet in the United States on September 24, though China had not officially confirmed the meeting, according to The Standard
- SCMP said Bessent is expected to discuss summit economic outcomes and begin preparatory dialogue on AI safety and governance with He
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the weekend meeting offers an early signal of whether Washington and Beijing can stabilise high-level communication before Xi’s US visit, especially on sensitive finance and technology issues. Any shift in US-China coordination over sanctions, banking exposure or AI governance could affect regional business sentiment and policy expectations in Hong Kong’s finance sector.