Senior officials from Washington and Beijing opened trade discussions in Paris aimed at resolving economic disputes ahead of a potential summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Economic and trade representatives from the United States and China convened in Paris on Sunday to begin a new round of negotiations as both governments prepare for a potential summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China’s state news agency reported that the meetings in the French capital bring together senior officials responsible for overseeing economic relations between the two nations. The talks are being led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Officials on both sides indicated the discussions are intended to address major trade issues and lay the groundwork for a diplomatic visit expected to take place in the coming weeks. The White House has stated that Trump plans to travel to Beijing from March 31 through April 2 for a state visit, though Chinese authorities have not formally confirmed the trip.
The upcoming visit would mark Trump’s first trip to China since his earlier presidential visit in 2017. Preparations for the meeting follow a period of tension in economic relations between the two countries that previously escalated into a trade dispute involving steep tariffs.
Trump and Xi met five months ago in Busan, South Korea, where they agreed to pause the escalation of tariffs for one year. The earlier conflict had seen retaliatory duties imposed by both governments rise sharply before negotiations led to a temporary halt in the trade confrontation.
Bessent said earlier in the week that the U.S. negotiating team intends to prioritize domestic economic interests during the talks.
“Our team will continue to deliver results that put America’s farmers, workers and businesses first,” Bessent said Thursday.
Chinese officials have also described the discussions as an opportunity to address shared economic concerns. China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday that the Paris meetings would focus on “trade and economic issues of mutual concern.”
The negotiations are the latest in a series of meetings between the two governments over the past year. Bessent and He have previously led bilateral discussions in multiple international locations including Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently indicated that diplomatic engagement between the two countries would intensify during the year. Speaking last week, Wang described the coming months as significant for the bilateral relationship, though he did not directly confirm the planned state visit.
“The agenda of high-level exchange is already on the table,” Wang said.
Officials from both governments have framed the Paris talks as an effort to stabilize economic relations between the world’s two largest economies while addressing ongoing trade disputes and broader financial concerns.
Original article
Comments