US, China seek to steady ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: US and Chinese officials offered upbeat assessments of talks on artificial intelligence, trade and investment, signalling a mutual desire to steady ties ahead of this week's summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

China's top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said the talks were held in a "good atmosphere" as he left JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s headquarters in New York on Sunday, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the discussions as "very successful." China's official Xinhua News Agency called the exchange "candid, in-depth and constructive."

Hours later, China's Foreign Ministry formally announced Xi's state visit to the US from Sept. 23 to 25, his first since 2015. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Xi will have in-depth exchanges with Trump, who met Xi in Beijing earlier this year, describing the visits as having "milestone" historic significance.


The positive tone underscored efforts by both governments to prevent their rivalry from spilling into a broader confrontation, even as they remain far apart on technology controls, Taiwan and other national security issues.

The talks did not produce an agreement to extend the countries' trade truce, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the discussions. An announcement of new US tariffs over allegations that trading partners have excess manufacturing capacity has also been delayed until after the meeting, according to people familiar with the matter.