Bessent and Greer to Discuss Trade with China in Switzerland
(Corrects Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter's last name in second paragraph)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with China's top economic official later this week in Switzerland, the two U.S. agencies said on Tuesday, marking an initial step in potential negotiations over President Donald Trump's tariff assault.
The U.S. Trade Representative's office and Treasury said Greer and Bessent would travel together to Geneva on May 8 and would also meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to discuss negotiations over reciprocal trade.
The agencies did not name the Chinese officials who would be attending the meeting from Beijing. But Vice Premier He Lifeng is widely viewed as China's economic czar and chief trade negotiator.
"Economic security is national security, and President Donald J. Trump is leading the way both at home and abroad for a stronger, more prosperous America,” Bessent said in a statement. “I look forward to productive talks as we work towards rebalancing the international economic system towards better serving the interests of the United States."
(Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)
