Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month.
The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday local time.
Tucked deep inside the residential and quiet 16th arrondissement of the French capital, the location might help with security efforts, which were slightly complicated by the fact that Sunday is also the day that French voters go to the polls for the first round of local elections.
This is the sixth round of trade talks between He and Bessent since Trump launched a global tariff war last year, with the latest discussions expected to focus on working towards some deliverables for Trump’s planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Thanks to the bonds of mutual respect between President Trump and President Xi, the trade and economic dialogue between the United States and China is moving forward,” Bessent said in a statement on Thursday.
“Under the guidance of President Trump, our team will continue to deliver results that put America’s farmers, workers and businesses first.”
China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that the two sides would “conduct consultations on economic and trade issues of mutual concern” guided by the consensus reached between Xi and Trump during their previous meeting and conversations.
