Scott Bessent huddles with Chinese vice premier on trade ahead of

The meeting was held in the new JPMorgan headquarters, which is a fine place for a conversation about money. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sat down with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng in midtown Manhattan to talk trade, and that alone is a signal. The Biden crowd spent four years pretending that talking to Beijing was either useless or suspicious. The Trump team understands that you don't fix a trade imbalance by refusing to pick up the phone.

This is how grown-up economic policy works. Bessent is a Wall Street veteran who knows exactly where the leverage is. He isn't going to be rolled by a Chinese official who smiles and makes vague promises. The goal is to get China to actually buy American goods and stop cheating on technology and currency. A meeting is not a victory, but it's a necessary step.

Of course, the usual critics will say any dialogue is a concession. Nonsense. President Trump already proved he can squeeze Beijing when he needs to. Now he's sending his Treasury secretary to collect. Talk is cheap? Fine. But this kind of talk usually ends with a deal that favors American workers.

We'll see what comes out of these talks. But sitting across the table from He Lifeng in a Manhattan skyscraper is better than shouting from the sidelines. The strong negotiate. The weak just complain. And this administration is here to make a deal.