Overview

• In a closed-door New York meeting, Li asked roughly 20 U.S. business, academic and civic leaders to help improve ties, according to the event hosts.
• The session, organized by the U.S.-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, focused on trade, investment and economic cooperation.
• Li told attendees the China–U.S. relationship is "the most important bilateral partnership" and said both governments need to "work in the same direction."
• At the UN General Assembly on Friday, he criticized tariff-driven protectionism, warned against a "Cold War mentality," and presented China as a defender of multilateral rules.
• His outreach comes as disputes over tariffs, technology and TikTok persist, following a recent Xi–Trump call that the U.S. president said would be followed by a meeting at a regional summit in South Korea.