US‑China Trade Call Ahead of Xi's September Visit
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on July 30‑31, 2026 to prepare for President Xi Jinping’s scheduled September visit to the United States. The U.S. side emphasized that Beijing must fully honor its commitments on rare‑earth supplies and on purchasing at least $17 billion of U.S. agricultural products through 2028. Both parties discussed implementing the Trade and Investment Boards – a mechanism intended to secure concrete progress toward a more balanced and constructive economic relationship – and agreed to set up a Board of Trade to explore duty cuts on about $30 billion of goods.
China used the exchange to register “serious concerns” over recent U.S. trade restrictions, including newly announced tariffs of 10 % and 12.5 % on 60 trading partners for alleged forced‑labour violations (China receiving a 12.5 % rate) and bans on imports of Chinese humanoid robots and power inverters. The two sides also agreed to use the China‑U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism to strengthen communication, build mutual trust and expand cooperation.
Entities: Donald Trump · He Lifeng · Jamieson Greer · Scott Bessent · United States · Xi Jinping
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 8 SOURCES] The United States announced new tariffs of 10 % and 12.5 % on goods from 60 trading partners over alleged forced‑labour violations. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 8 SOURCES] China was assigned a 12.5 % tariff rate under the U.S. measures. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He Lifeng held a video call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on July 30. (Reuters)
- [● 3 SOURCES] China said it was seeking opinions on the planned U.S. tariff cuts. (Reuters)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Both sides agreed to use the China‑U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism to strengthen communication and expand cooperation. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The two countries set up a Board of Trade to explore duty cuts on goods worth about $30 billion. (supported_by)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The United States announced bans targeting imports of new Chinese robots and power inverters. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He Lifeng raised serious concerns about recent U.S. trade and economic restrictions on China. (Reuters)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The United States expects China to fully meet its commitments on rare‑earth exports. (supported_by)
- [● 4 SOURCES] U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a video call with Chinese Vice‑Premier He Lifeng on July 30 2026. (supported_by)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Both sides agreed to use the China‑U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism and to implement Trade and Investment Boards. (supported_by)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The United States expects China to fully meet its commitments on U.S. agricultural products, including purchasing at least US$17 billion through 2028. (supported_by)