Senior U.S. Treasury officials concluded a high-stakes visit to Beijing last week, clearing a diplomatic path for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to engage in direct trade negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Laying The Groundwork
The recent staff-level mission was designed “to strengthen channels of communication and advance the dialogue between our nations,” Secretary Bessent announced Monday.
The discussions focused heavily on technical preparations for the upcoming ministerial meeting, which serves as a critical precursor to President Donald Trump’s anticipated summit with President Xi Jinping in April.
Bessent noted that the working groups are currently focused on sustaining the diplomatic “thaw” established during previous rounds of talks. “We look forward to continued constructive engagement between both sides, and to maintain our positive forward momentum over the coming weeks as we approach our next face-to-face engagement,” Bessent stated in a post on X.
Benzinga has reached out to the U.S. Treasury Department for comment regarding the specific agenda of the recent staff visit, the exact timeline and location for the Bessent-He meeting, and whether these talks have finalized the logistics for President Trump’s April itinerary. Treasury has not yet responded to our inquiry.
Full story available on Benzinga.com
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