Paris becomes diplomatic bridge for renewed U.S.-China engagement

Senior economic officials from the United States and China opened high-level trade talks in Paris on Sunday , a crucial step ahead of a planned summit between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.

The negotiations, led by the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng , are scheduled over two days and are widely seen as groundwork for Trump’s expected state visit to China from March 31 to April 2 , though Beijing has not formally confirmed the trip.

Officials say the discussions center on trade and economic issues of mutual concern , particularly tariffs, market access, and supply-chain stability following years of friction between the world’s two largest economies. Washington is currently conducting a new trade investigation that could lead to additional duties on several partners, including China, a move Beijing has criticized as damaging to global supply chains and economic stability.

The talks come about five months after the two leaders agreed in Busan, South Korea, to a one-year truce in a bruising trade war that had seen tit-for-tat tariffs surge to extreme levels before easing. Despite political tensions, bilateral trade remains vast, with China supplying large volumes of manufactured goods to the U.S., while American exports to China include agricultural products, energy, and technology components. However, the relationship continues to be marked by persistent imbalances, strategic rivalry in key industries, and existing tariff barriers on both sides.

Broader geopolitical concerns, including rising oil-market anxiety linked to the Iran conflict and the security of critical shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz, are also expected to figure prominently in the discussions, with U.S. President Donald Trump previously urged allies to help keep the vital waterway “open and safe.”

At the same time, uncertainty surrounds the planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Trump has indicated he may consider delaying the summit depending on progress in negotiations and broader international developments. Analysts say the Paris talks could therefore prove decisive in determining whether the current fragile détente between Washington and Beijing matures into a more stable economic relationship or slips back toward confrontation ahead of what is shaping up to be a pivotal Trump-Xi encounter.