China elevates Li Chenggang to nation’s top international trade role - South China Morning Post

Emma Main ShanghaiPublished: 8:31pm, 20 Sep 2026China has elevated veteran trade diplomat Li Chenggang to the country’s top-level international trade representative post, giving him a prominent role ahead of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.Li has been officially appointed by the State Council as China’s international trade representative, carrying a minister’s rank, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.He was previously the international trade negotiator of the Ministry of Commerce, and the revised official title vests him with a national-level mandate, strengthening the country’s economic relations with its key trading partners.

China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng is leading a Chinese delegation to the US for consultations on economic and trade issues of mutual concern from Saturday to Wednesday.