US-China trade talks open in Paris, paving way for Trump-Xi summit
Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported.
The meetings, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, are expected to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in about two weeks.
The White House has said Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it. Bessent said his team would continue to deliver results that put America’s farmers, workers and businesses first. China’s commerce ministry on Friday said the two sides were set to discuss “trade and economic issues of mutual concern”.
Trump’s visit to China will be the first for a US President since he went in his first term in 2017. It will come five months after the two leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan and agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that temporarily saw tit-for-tat tariffs soar to triple digits before the two sides climbed down. Still, trade remains a source of tensions. The commerce ministry on Friday hit back against the Trump administration's new trade investigation into 16 trading partners, including China.
The probe — which came after a Supreme Court ruling struck down Trump’s sweeping global tariffs that were imposed last year — could pave the way for new tariffs. Another issue that could be discussed is the Iran war, especially when global anxiety is soaring over oil prices and supplies.
