U.S. officials urged Group of 20 finance leaders meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, to make stronger economic growth the main response to record global debt. Global debt reached nearly $353 trillion earlier this year as the economy faced an energy shock triggered by the Iran war, tensions over China’s $1.2 trillion goods trade surplus and uncertainty over an investment surge in artificial intelligence. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said growth was the only way to reduce the burden accumulated after the global financial crisis and COVID-19. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, attending his first international economic policy meeting since taking office in May, described the moment as a global investment surge that had reversed the former global savings glut. The Trump administration is advocating deregulation and greater energy production to support private-sector growth. Bessent identified regulatory and administrative burdens, weakly designed incentives and tax systems, inadequate investment, fragmented internal markets and workforce-skill gaps as obstacles for G20 economies. He also rejected concerns over U.S. debt-market turmoil, citing continued growth despite large budget deficits. Washington is seeking support to isolate Iran, potentially through secondary sanctions, and wants G20 members to press China to shift from export-led growth toward domestic consumption. Bessent said he held a robust meeting with China’s central bank governor Pan Gongsheng and would meet his Canadian counterpart as Canada prepares counter-tariffs after trade talks with the United States collapsed.