US-China trade talks in Seoul last less than four hours

On Wednesday, senior officials from the United States and China completed their seventh round of trade discussions in Seoul, lasting under four hours—the shortest meeting since negotiations began last year. The session, which took place at Incheon Airport, was led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, and notably omitted the customary press conferences seen in previous rounds. This meeting concluded just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump's first visit to China in over eight years, following his last official trip in 2017. A succinct report from state news agency Xinhua indicated that the delegations focused on "resolving economic and trade issues of mutual concern" and "further expanding practical cooperation," without providing additional specifics.