US, China begin trade talks in Paris ahead of possible Trump–Xi summit

The United States and China on Sunday opened a new round of economic and trade talks in Paris, in negotiations that could pave the way for a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in the coming weeks.

The talks are being led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

The discussions are expected to address trade and economic issues between the two countries and are viewed as an important step ahead of a possible state visit by Trump to China.

The White House has said Trump is expected to travel to Beijing from 31 March to 2 April, though Chinese authorities have not yet officially confirmed the visit.

Trade tensions remain

Bessent said earlier this week that the US negotiating team would continue to pursue outcomes that benefit American farmers, workers and businesses.

China’s Ministry of Commerce of China said the two sides were expected to discuss “trade and economic issues of mutual concern”.

Trump’s potential visit would be the first trip to China by a US president since he travelled there during his first term in 2017.

It would also follow a meeting between Trump and Xi in the South Korean city of Busan about five months ago, where both leaders agreed to a one-year truce in a trade dispute that had previously seen tariffs imposed by the two sides rise to triple-digit levels.

Despite the truce, trade tensions have continued.

Dispute over tariff probe

China’s commerce ministry recently criticised a new trade investigation launched by the Trump administration into 16 trading partners, including China.

The investigation follows a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by Trump last year.

The new probe could potentially lead to the imposition of fresh tariffs.

Analysts say the conflict involving Iran may also feature in the discussions, as global concerns grow over energy supplies and rising oil prices.

Trump said on Saturday that he hopes several countries—including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom—would deploy naval vessels to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe for international shipping.

Preparations for summit

Experts say the Paris talks are likely to be the most significant bilateral meeting between the two countries ahead of a potential Trump–Xi summit.

Gary Ng, senior economist at the French bank Natixis and research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said the key issue would be whether the two sides could manage their disagreements while preserving areas of cooperation.

“The key issue is whether China and the US can agree on what is agreed and manage disagreement,” Ng said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week that the year could prove significant for relations between Beijing and Washington.

While not confirming Trump’s visit, Wang said preparations for high-level exchanges between the two countries were already underway.

Bessent and He have been leading trade negotiations between the two sides since last year and have previously met in cities including Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur.