The United States announced on Tuesday that it would send a delegation to the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings in China this month, just hours after US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The US delegation will head to Shanghai and Suzhou from May 11 to 24 to “continue advancing ‘America first’ foreign, trade, and investment policies,” according to the US Department of State.

The first Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) took place in Guangzhou in February, marking the first official event of China’s 2026 Apec host year, which will conclude at the leaders’ summit in the southern city of Shenzhen in November.

Senior Apec official Casey Mace and John Mills, deputy assistant secretary of state for cyberspace and digital policy, will lead US participation in the SOM2 and related meetings in Shanghai from May 11 to 19. Discussions are expected to cover trade and investment, digitalisation and telecommunications, food safety and the automotive industry.

Additionally, Paige Willey, deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the National Economic Council, is set to serve as the US head of delegation for the Apec Women and the Economy Forum that takes place in Shanghai on May 15. Rick Switzer, the deputy US trade representative, will be in the same role for the Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Suzhou from May 22 to 24.

“The United States is proud of the leading role we have played in Apec. After hosting the forum three times, American companies, technology, and workers have been instrumental in building a more prosperous Asia-Pacific,” the Department of State said.