Overview

• Xinhua said Monday that Li Chenggang’s position as China’s lead international trade negotiator has been formalised and that he has been removed from his World Trade Organization post.
• China’s current WTO representative is Li Yongjie, who presented credentials on September 29, according to the trade body.
• Li was appointed to the negotiator role in April, replacing veteran envoy Wang Shouwen, after Beijing and Washington levied tariffs exceeding 100% against each other.
• Tensions have recently intensified as the United States added more foreign companies to sanctions lists and China imposed broad export curbs on rare earths and other critical materials.
• U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week called Li “unhinged,” and after a Friday video call with He Lifeng he said they will meet next week in Malaysia ahead of an expected Xi–Trump encounter at the APEC summit in South Korea.