Incheon/Seoul, 13 May (H.S.): U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived in South Korea on Wednesday to hold preparatory trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and to meet South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung as leaders from Washington and Beijing prepare to meet in Beijing later this week.
Bessent’s brief stop in Seoul is designed to iron out technical and commercial details ahead of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with negotiating teams expected to set the framework for announcements on trade, investment and strategic economic cooperation. Officials said the sessions will likely cover market access, agricultural purchases, aerospace and energy procurement, and potential mechanisms to manage high‑tech export controls and investment disputes.
Among the items on the agenda, U.S. officials have signalled an expectation that China will commit to increased purchases of American agricultural goods and Boeing aircraft, while Beijing seeks relief from curbs on advanced semiconductor exports and clearer channels for resolving trade and investment frictions. Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang and other senior trade negotiators are accompanying He for the talks, underscoring the technical depth of discussions.
Bessent and He are scheduled to meet separately with President Lee at the Blue House before their bilateral engagement, reflecting Seoul’s role as a diplomatic convenor and its interest in ensuring that any U.S.–China agreements consider South Korea’s economic and security stakes. South Korean officials signalled that the meetings at Incheon airport will be compact and focused, with Bessent expected to depart for Beijing later the same day.
Analysts say the pre‑summit talks aim to produce concrete deliverables that Trump and Xi can endorse publicly, while leaving complex technical details for follow‑up negotiations. Proposed outcomes under discussion include structured forums for ongoing trade and investment dialogue — such as a bilateral “Board of Trade” or “Board of Investment” — and targeted purchase commitments in areas that could deliver near‑term economic benefit to both countries.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
