The official Chinese news agency Xinhua announced the formal promotion of Li Chenggang, who previously held the position of Vice Minister of Commerce and participated in discussions led by Deputy Premier He Lifeng in New York with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
This preparatory meeting aims for the summit between Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled for this week in Washington. Key topics of debate include the extent of the trade truce, customs tariffs, rare earths, and artificial intelligence.
In March, Li Chenggang was part of the Chinese delegation, led by He Lifeng, during negotiations with Scott Bessent in Paris. On that occasion, both parties declared having reached 'preliminary consensus' aimed at stabilizing economic and trade relations.
The Chinese official was also involved in a controversy with Bessent in 2025. The U.S. Treasury Secretary had labeled him 'unbalanced' and accused him of attending in Washington 'without invitation' and using 'inflammatory' language. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce refuted these allegations, considering them unfounded.
In recent months, Li Chenggang has also represented Beijing before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the European Union. In June, he met with the European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, to discuss the reform of the World Trade Organization and the European trade deficit with China.