Bessent and China's He Set to Open Talks on AI, Trade, Critical Minerals

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China's He will launch talks covering artificial intelligence, trade and critical minerals, according to Investing.com. The addition of AI to the agenda marks an expansion beyond the tariff and rare-earth disputes that have dominated US-China economic diplomacy this year. The timing coincides with world leaders gathering at the United Nations this week, and follows a separate report that Treasury officials are also weighing a Trump-Xi meeting, according to Seeking Alpha's week-ahead preview. Critical minerals remain a point of leverage for Beijing, which controls much of global rare-earth processing capacity. What remains unresolved is whether the talks produce any binding commitments or simply extend the current truce. No date, venue or specific deliverables have been disclosed.