Delegations from China and the United States convened for trade talks at Incheon International Airport near Seoul, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday, hours before President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would meet Chinese Vice‑Premier He Lifeng, both of whom have previously led high‑level trade negotiations. The officials are expected to finalize details of any announcements that may emerge from the Trump‑Xi summit, which is set to follow the Incheon meetings.
The two sides have been working to ease the tariff war that escalated last year when Washington and Beijing imposed reciprocal duties of more than 100 percent on each other’s goods. At their October meeting in South Korea, Trump and Xi agreed to a 12‑month truce on new tariff measures, a pact both governments have been trying to preserve.
Speaking on social media, Bessent emphasized that “economic security is national security” as he announced his South Korea visit. After the talks in Incheon, he is slated to travel to Beijing to join the presidential summit. The trip will also include a delegation of senior business leaders, among them Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who are expected to accompany Trump to China.
The meetings come at a time when both economies are seeking to stabilise trade relations and mitigate the impact of high tariffs on key industries. Analysts note that any progress reached in Seoul could shape the agenda of the Beijing summit and influence broader economic ties between the world’s two largest economies.
While details of the Incheon discussions remain limited, the presence of senior officials from both governments signals a willingness to engage constructively. The outcome will be watched closely by businesses and policymakers across the globe, including in Africa, where many firms depend on reliable trade channels with both the United States and China.
The next major development will be the Trump‑Xi summit in Beijing, where the leaders are expected to reaffirm the trade truce and potentially set a roadmap for longer‑term economic cooperation.
