Dear Focus Reader,

Chinese International Trade Representative Li Chenggang is visiting Washington this week for meetings with U.S. officials, following a four-day trip to Canada where he co-chaired the China-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Committee.

While not part of any formal negotiating session, Li is expected to meet with deputy-level representatives over the course of Thursday and Friday. Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian said Li's trip reflects China's willingness to "resolve issues through dialogue" and to "jointly safeguard the sound, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations."

Meanwhile, China is preparing to host the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin this weekend, where Chinese President Xi Jinping will gather more than 20 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi's participation marks his first visit to China in over seven years and reflects ongoing efforts to ease tensions along the Sino-Indian border following clashes in 2020.

The summit is expected to focus on political, economic, and security cooperation, and comes amid ongoing U.S. tariffs and trade policies that Beijing and other members of the SCO have criticized, most recently including U.S. measures targeting Indian oil imports. Analysts note that while the SCO has limited effectiveness in implementing substantial security measures, the gathering offers China and other members an opportunity to demonstrate solidarity, projecting economic and diplomatic cohesion outside Western-led frameworks.

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