By Micah Jonah
March 15, 2026
Top officials from the United States and China have begun a new round of trade discussions in Paris ahead of an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled to take place in Beijing later this month.
US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent met Chinese Vice Premier, He Lifeng at the Paris headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to address ongoing trade disputes between the world’s two largest economies.
The talks are expected to cover US tariffs, the supply of Chinese rare earth minerals and magnets to US buyers, US high-tech export controls, and Chinese purchases of American agricultural products.
Tensions between the US and China were high throughout 2025, with reciprocal tariffs reaching triple digits at one point and export restrictions threatening global supply chains. A meeting between Trump and Xi in Busan, South Korea, in October helped ease tensions, but recent US probes into Chinese industrial overcapacity and forced labour threaten renewed strain.
China’s commerce ministry confirmed the Paris discussions, describing them as consultations on economic and trade issues of mutual concern. Bessent stated that the economic dialogue “is moving forward,” with the two-day talks intended to lay the groundwork for the presidential meeting. Washington has indicated that Trump will visit China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not formally confirmed the dates.
The Paris talks occur amid global uncertainty due to the US-Israel war on Iran, which has disrupted energy markets and contributed to soaring oil prices. Beijing, a close partner of Tehran, is expected to raise concerns about the Gulf conflict, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 45 percent of China’s oil imports.
Bessent recently announced a 30-day waiver of sanctions to allow the sale of stranded Russian oil, while Trump has called on other nations to help secure shipping routes in the region following US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub.
Analysts say that with limited preparation time and the US focus on the Middle East conflict, expectations for a major breakthrough in Paris are modest. Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that the immediate goal for both sides is to maintain dialogue and prevent a resurgence of trade tensions.
The talks highlight the delicate balance between economic cooperation and geopolitical crises as the US and China seek to manage both trade relations and regional security challenges.
