Trade talks between China and the United States in Paris this weekend are likely to focus on setting the scene for the Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump later this month, analysts said, downplaying the prospects of any significant breakthroughs.
Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to discuss potential deals on tariffs, investment, and trade in soybeans and rare earths, which would be presented as deliverables for the Xi-Trump summit.
Bessent will be in Paris from March 15 to 16, while He will be in the city from March 14 to 17, according to official announcements.
The Communist Party’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily, published a commentary on Friday urging a good start for the trade interactions between China and the US this year at the Paris talks.
Written under the “Zhong Sheng” pen name often used to voice Beijing’s position on global affairs, the article said that China’s development and revitalisation can “go hand in hand with America’s quest to ‘make it great again.’”
Analysts said both sides had a short-term interest in maintaining the current trade truce, with Beijing needing a stable international economic environment as it tackles issues at home and Washington focusing on November’s midterm elections.
