China, US confirm Seoul trade talks days before Trump-Xi summit in Beijing

Meeting follows Paris round in March and a video call in April as both sides prepare for Trump’s state visit Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will travel to South Korea this week for trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, both sides confirmed on Sunday, in the final round of negotiations before a summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing. The meeting is scheduled for May 12 and 13 in Seoul and comes days before Trump’s state visit to China on May 14 and 15. China’s Ministry of Commerce said He would lead a delegation to hold economic and trade consultations with the US side. A White House spokeswoman said that Trump plans to host Xi for a reciprocal visit later in 2026. The talks would be “guided by the important consensus” reached between the two heads of state at their meeting in Busan and in previous phone calls and would address “economic and trade issues of mutual concern”, a ministry spokesperson said in response to a reporter’s question.

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