U.S.-China Talks Set Stage for Trump-Xi Meeting

U.S. and Chinese officials held lengthy economic and trade consultations in New York from Sept. 19 to 23 ahead of a planned Sept. 24 White House meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The talks addressed extending the fragile tariff truce, reducing barriers on selected goods, increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. products, fentanyl precursor shipments and disputes over rare-earth supplies, while Washington maintained export controls on sensitive technologies. The sides agreed to pursue their first government dialogue on artificial intelligence, including a notification mechanism for potentially serious national-security incidents, but broader safeguards and technology controls remain contentious. Washington has delayed possible new tariffs over China’s industrial overcapacity until after the leaders’ meeting and is seeking progress without trading AI export restrictions for mineral concessions. Trump and Xi are expected to discuss Taiwan, the war in Iran and the risks of further dividing their technology ecosystems, though analysts expect limited, targeted agreements rather than a major breakthrough.