Bessent and He hold pre-summit economic talks in Washington
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in Washington ahead of the September 24 Trump-Xi summit to discuss economic relations and final agenda items. The talks included AI and trade, and Bessent said the sides considered whether to pursue a broader agreement rather than a series of smaller measures.
Key points
- The meeting was part of preparations for the leaders’ summit, with officials working on final agenda items.
Evidence · 2 source statements
- AI and trade were among the subjects discussed, though China’s account did not specify the agenda.
Evidence · 2 source statements
- Bessent said the officials discussed the possibility of a larger agreement instead of continuing with smaller measures.
Evidence · 1 source statement
Who's involved
Scott Bessent
He led the U.S. side of the economic talks.
Bessent said any commitments should advance U.S. economic and national-security interests and protect American workers, farmers, and businesses. He also said strategic stability should rest on reciprocity and fairness.
What they said · 2 source statements
We want strategic stability, but it has to be based on reciprocity and fairness,
Chinese government
China was the other party to the economic talks.
China’s account described the exchanges on AI as candid, in-depth, and constructive, but did not specify the agenda.
What they said · 1 source statement
What was reported
- Bessent and He met in Washington ahead of the Trump-Xi summit scheduled for September 24.
One source: Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 1 source statement
- The meeting took place at World Bank headquarters.
Reported independently by 2: South China Morning Post, Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 2 source statements
The talks are under way at the World Bank headquarters in the US capital, following the two leaders’ engagement on Sunday at JPMorgan’s offices in New York.
- Yonhap reported that the talks covered an AI incident-notification system and specific approaches to trade discussions.
One source: Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 1 source statement
- A Bloomberg account relayed by Yonhap said Bessent and He remained at the meeting for more than an hour.
One source: Bloomberg
Evidence · 1 source statement
- The same Bloomberg account said Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min attended with He.
One source: Bloomberg
Evidence · 1 source statement
- Bessent described his discussions with He as substantive and focused on U.S.-China economic relations.
One source: Yonhap News Agency
Evidence · 1 source statement
How coverage differed
South China Morning Post — Highlighted the meeting’s unscheduled nature, its location, and Bessent’s call for reciprocity and fairness.
Yonhap News Agency — Focused on summit agenda coordination, including reported AI and trade topics, and relayed details about the meeting’s duration and attendees.
Still unclear
- The talks’ outcome on a broader economic agreement was not specified.
- He Lifeng’s own public account of the discussions was not included.
Not heard from
- He Lifeng — He took part in the meeting, but no statement from him appears in the reports’ claims.