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U.S. Treasury’s Bessent to Meet China’s He Lifeng in Madrid on Trade, TikTok, and Money Laundering

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Madrid next week for high-level talks covering trade, TikTok, and illicit finance, the Treasury said Thursday. The meetings, set for September 12–18, coincide with Bessent’s trip to Spain and Britain, ahead of his participation in President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK (Sept. 17–19).

Focus Areas

  • Trade and Tariffs: The talks mark the fourth major in-person meeting between Bessent and He this year, as Washington and Beijing seek to uphold a fragile trade truce. A July meeting in Stockholm resulted in a 90-day tariff pause extension, approved by Trump until November 10. U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods remain steep at ~55%, with agriculture a sticking point. Washington accuses China of shifting farm imports to Brazil and Argentina, undercutting U.S. soybean farmers.

  • TikTok Deadline: ByteDance’s short-video platform faces a U.S. ban unless it is sold to U.S. ownership. Trump extended TikTok’s divestment deadline to September 17. Treasury confirmed the app will be discussed in Madrid, after not featuring in July’s talks.

  • Money Laundering Cooperation: Both sides will address illicit finance, which Washington links to Chinese banks allegedly enabling Russia’s access to military technologies amid the Ukraine war. Treasury retains the authority to sanction Chinese banks involved in such transfers, though it has not yet exercised it.

Broader Context

The Madrid meeting comes as the world’s two largest economies attempt to stabilize relations:

  • Rare earth exports from China to the U.S. were restored under the current truce.

  • However, agriculture and tariffs remain unresolved, with U.S. farmers facing a shrinking share of the Chinese market.

  • Trump has maintained high tariffs on Chinese goods, including those tied to fentanyl supply chain disputes.

The outcome of the Madrid talks remains uncertain, particularly on farm trade or tariff relief, but the inclusion of TikTok and money laundering suggests Washington is broadening the agenda beyond traditional trade disputes.