Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, left, President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Liu He will need to tread carefully at Beidaihe, where Xi's handling of U.S. relations will likely be a big topic of discussion. (Nikkei Montage/Getty Images/Reuters)

Xi bolsters trade team to counter Washington and party elders

Annual gathering of party luminaries nears, with little progress in Sino-American talks

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer

August 1, 2019 13:43 JST

TOKYO -- Supported by two aides, 92-year-old former President Jiang Zemin walked slowly down the aisle toward the bereaved family of Li Peng to convey his condolences.

The scene came Monday during the funeral of the former premier who in 1989 declared martial law during the Tiananmen Square crackdown. It demonstrated Jiang's undiminished presence ahead of the annual Beidaihe meeting.