China-US trade talks start in South Korea
- By AFP -
- May 13, 2026
BEIJING: Delegations from China and the United States met for trade talks in South Korea, Chinese state media reported Wednesday, hours before US President Donald Trump is due to arrive in Beijing.
The talks were taking place at Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, Xinhua news agency said, without providing further details.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said he would be meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, both of whom have led previous rounds of negotiations.
The officials are likely to put the finishing touches on any announcements made during Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Washington and Beijing last year slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on each other’s exports, with levies exceeding 100 percent.
Trump and Xi agreed on a year-long trade truce at their October meeting in South Korea.
“Economic security is national security,” Bessent said as he announced his South Korea trip on social media.
Bessent will then travel to Beijing for the Trump-Xi summit, he added.
More than a dozen business executives including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk are also travelling to China with Trump.