Big questions - and key logistical details - loom ahead of China-U.S. summit

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing in May. Evan Vucci/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

WASHINGTON D.C. – With seven days to go before a high-stakes meeting between the leaders of the United States and China, some key logistical details remain undecided, potentially hamstringing planning for the business deals, trade talks, and technology-related discussions for the two countries.

Interagency conversations to prepare briefing materials and talking points for President Trump to present to the Chinese leader and his delegation have not yet been completed, some U.S. officials say.

Uncertainty over how many seats the Chinese delegation will be given at the state dinner that night has hampered the Chinese delegation from finalizing which tech executives may accompany Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The details of the planning are according to interviews with 10 current and former U.S. officials as well as three people involved with meeting planning, all of whom requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. The White House did not provide an on the record statement when asked for comment.

Despite the lingering questions, China remains optimistic about the summit.

"The Chinese are very enthusiastic about this summit because I think it's a way for them to manage the U.S.," said Randall Shriver , former assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs and current chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which provides recommendations to Congress on China.

However, in private, top level Chinese leaders from the country's foreign ministry and elite Politburo Committee have expressed concern to U.S. representatives in the last four weeks that the U.S. has been finalizing an agenda and security and protocol details up until the last days before the summit.