China's He Lifeng Arrives in Washington for Pre-Summit Trade Talks — SkimNews
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- He Lifeng will lead a Chinese delegation to Washington from September 19 to 23 for trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, guided by consensus reached by Xi and Trump, China's commerce ministry said.
- Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Washington on September 23 and meet Trump the next day, with Trump planning to personally receive him on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, per the South China Morning Post.
- Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday, authorizing 100% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas — explicitly including China and India.
- Beijing rejected the tariff threat, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying China's 'normal economic and trade cooperation' with other countries 'shall be free from disruption or coercion from any third party.'
- Washington and Beijing are simultaneously negotiating a reciprocal tariff reduction framework covering $30 billion in products from each side, with China's Commerce Ministry saying the goal is to reach an arrangement 'at the earliest possible date.'
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Beijing on Wednesday and told Wang Yi that Tehran was not interested in continuing conflict with the US and wanted to return to diplomacy — a separate channel operating alongside the trade track.
Why it matters: The new 100% tariff authorization on Russian oil buyers gives Trump direct leverage over China just as both sides try to lock in a $30 billion reciprocal tariff cut. Beijing's public rejection of 'long-arm jurisdiction' signals it won't accept being punished for its Russia energy ties, making the September 24 summit the venue where this confrontation either escalates or gets papered over.
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