Washington, US - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said he would meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend for talks on the Iran war and sanctions plans.
Bessent confirmed the meeting will take place while testifying during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the state of the international financial system on Tuesday.
When asked about efforts to prevent Tehran's workarounds of US sanctions amid war with Iran in the Middle East, Bessent told lawmakers that Washington's warnings have been heard.
"We have sanctioned three banks," Bessent told the committee. "With China, we have had some very good private discussions, and I look forward to those continuing this weekend when I meet my Chinese counterpart Vice [Premier] He Lifeng."
"I'm sure it will continue during President Xi's state visit," he added, referring to President Donald Trump's planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24.
Observers have expected that Bessent and He would meet in mid-September to set the stage for Trump and Xi's gathering, making the secretary's confirmation unsurprising.
A source familiar with discussions earlier told AFP that talks on artificial intelligence were also likely to take place, although Bessent did not elaborate on the agenda for his weekend meeting.