US, China Hold Final Trade Talks Before Xi-Trump Summit — SkimNews
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- He Lifeng will lead a Chinese delegation to Washington from September 19 to 23 for trade and economic talks with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, covering tariffs, AI, and other issues ahead of the Xi-Trump summit.
- Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday, authorizing 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas — a measure that directly targets China and India.
- China's Foreign Ministry rejected US tariff pressure over its Russian energy purchases, with spokesperson Guo Jiakun calling them "unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and lack UN Security Council mandate."
- Despite the sanctions fight, both sides are negotiating a reciprocal tariff reduction framework covering USD 30 billion in products from each side, per China's Commerce Ministry spokesperson Huang Ling.
- Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Washington on September 23 and meet Trump the next day; Trump plans a rare personal tarmac reception at Joint Base Andrews, per the South China Morning Post.
- Wang Yi and Marco Rubio held a Thursday phone call focused on high-level exchanges, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Beijing the same week telling Wang Tehran wanted a diplomatic solution with the US.
Why it matters: He Lifeng's talks are the last real chance to narrow differences before Xi and Trump sit down — and the agenda is loaded. A 100% tariff threat over Russian oil is now law, yet both capitals are simultaneously trying to lock in a $30 billion reciprocal tariff cut. Whoever blinks on either track shapes the tone of a summit designed to stabilize ties between the world's two largest economies.
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