US and China open New York talks on AI, critical minerals and tariffs

Reuters reported that Bessent, He and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks at JPMorgan Chase headquarters in Manhattan on September 20. Reuters journalists recorded the delegations' arrival, and the meeting started shortly after Bessent arrived at about 10:30 a.m. local time, with discussions expected to continue through the day.

The meeting is a senior-level preparation for President Donald Trump's talks with President Xi Jinping in Washington this week. The Associated Press reported that US officials had identified tariffs on some non-strategic goods, artificial intelligence and rare-earth supplies as summit issues; China's Commerce Ministry had announced that He would lead a delegation to the United States for economic and trade consultations.

Core economic issues include the bilateral trade truce due to expire on November 10, possible tariff reductions for some non-strategic goods, Chinese commitments involving US agricultural products and Boeing aircraft, and supplies of rare-earth magnets and other critical minerals. US officials say current flows are below expectations; China has not announced a new supply commitment.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a significant topic at this level of economic talks. Bessent previously said Washington was open to discussing shared risks, avoiding a complete bifurcation of the two AI systems, and guard rails to keep powerful models from malign non-state actors. These are negotiating topics, not agreed rules.

Analysts told Reuters that the approaching summit could produce limited deliverables showing that both sides want to avoid further escalation, while a major breakthrough remains uncertain. N Globe therefore reports the start of negotiations without describing an agreement as reached or predicting tariff, export-control or procurement outcomes.

Verification status: confirmed. News value: A-level major news. Origin region: United States (New York). Primary section: Economy. Related regions: China and World. Source publication date: September 20, 2026. Report date: September 20, 2026.