US and Chinese Officials Meet at JPMorgan Ahead of Summit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are meeting in New York to negotiate trade, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence guardrails ahead of a presidential summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

The high-level talks are scheduled for Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET at JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York, according to an Investing.com report. While JPMorgan is not participating in the negotiations, the bank agreed to provide its headquarters building as a neutral meeting venue amid heightened security across Manhattan during the United Nations General Assembly.

"I think there will be some show of deliverables because of the fact that it's a presidential summit coming, but I don't feel like we're on the verge of some sort of breakthrough," said Anna Ashton, a long-time China trade analyst and founder of Ashton Intelligence, in a Channel NewsAsia report.

Preparing for the White House Summit

The Manhattan meeting serves as a preparatory session just days before President Donald Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in Washington for a two-day summit on Thursday and Friday. Economic advisers from both nations are aiming to resolve bilateral trade frictions, supply chain vulnerabilities involving critical minerals, and emerging technology policies before the leaders meet.

Technology policy, particularly AI security and market access, remains a central pillar of the ongoing negotiations between the world's two largest economies. The discussions seek to establish guardrails that prevent technological decoupling while safeguarding national security interests.

"The United States remains the leader in AI. And we are open to discussions on avoiding shared risks and avoiding bifurcation of our two systems," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement regarding the China talks.

What Is at Stake for Global Trade

The talks arrive at a sensitive juncture for international markets as policymakers attempt to manage trade tensions without triggering broader economic disruptions. Previous bilateral negotiations have frequently centered on tariffs, intellectual property protections, and access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, making Sunday's meeting an indicator of the tone and substance expected at the upcoming presidential summit.