Top U.S., China negotiators to hold final preparatory talks ahead of Trump-Xi summit

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File image of President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. | Photo Credit: AP

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.

Mr. Trump plans to accord a rare airport reception to Mr. Xi by personally receiving him on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews when the Chinese President arrives, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported earlier.

The two leaders last met in Beijing in May during Mr. Trump's visit, when they held talks aimed at improving ties between the world's two largest economies.

Vice Premier He is set to hold talks with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on a wide range of issues, including tariffs and artificial intelligence.

Mr. Bessent confirmed the talks, saying he looked forward to meeting Vice Premier He and continuing their “very good private discussions”.

The talks assume significance in the immediate backdrop of Mr. Trump signing a new sanctions bill to impose 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas, including China and India .

Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on Friday (September 18, 2026). The law authorises expanded sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia and countries that buy its energy exports.

China has rejected U.S. attempts to impose tariffs over its purchases of Russian oil and gas, saying normal trade cooperation between countries should not be subject to interference by third parties.

“China engages in normal economic and trade cooperation with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters on Thursday (September 17, 2026).

“Such cooperation does not target any third party and shall be free from disruption or coercion from any third party. China opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and lack UN Security Council mandate,” he said.