China-US trade talks kick off in Seoul ahead of high-profile leaders’ summit

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Trade deals, export controls on critical minerals and the Iran war likely to be talking points as senior officials sit down for negotiations

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Xinyi Wuin BeijingandYulu Aoin SeoulPublished: 11:34am, 13 May 2026Updated: 11:55am, 13 May 2026Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing.

The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport around noon on Wednesday Seoul time.

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The two officials had both paid courtesy calls to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the morning.

This is the seventh round of negotiations between He and Bessent since Trump returned to office and launched a global tariff war last year, with the talks setting the stage for the meeting between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Unlike previous meetings that have usually lasted around two days, this round of talks is expected to only run for a few hours. Bessent will head to China in the afternoon to join Trump.

Trump is set to visit Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday. This will mark the first trip by a US president to China in over eight years, after a state visit during Trump’s first non-consecutive term in 2017.

AdvertisementBessent and He are expected to discuss a number of issues, including Chinese purchases of American soybeans, beef and aircraft, as well as China’s export controls on critical minerals, for which a key suspension is set to expire in November.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x