China is dispatching Li Chenggang, its international trade representative and vice minister of commerce, to Washington this week for a round of talks aimed at building a regular dialogue with the United States, according to multiple reports including the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. The trip marks the first visit by a senior Chinese trade envoy to the U.S. capital since 2023 and comes only weeks after Washington and Beijing prolonged their tariff truce for another 90 days. U.S. officials said Li’s meetings will be mainly with deputy-level counterparts at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Treasury Department, along with American business leaders. The discussions are described as technical rather than a formal negotiating session. Issues expected to surface include China’s purchases of U.S. soybeans, Beijing’s push to lift a 20 percent U.S. tariff on fentanyl-related chemicals, and rules governing rare-earth exports and American technology sales. The two economies agreed on 11 August to keep in place duties of 30 percent on Chinese imports and 10 percent on U.S. goods while broader negotiations continue. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said each meeting is “moving the ball forward” and signaled that a higher-level encounter with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng could occur in late October or early November. Traders are watching whether the latest extension will pave the way for further tariff rollbacks or a renewed escalation.