Paris, France — Top officials from the United States and China met in Paris on Wednesday for a new round of talks before the expected summit in Beijing between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
At the end of the two-day negotiations, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the sixth round of talks as “very good.”
For the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce and representative in international trade negotiations, Li Chenggang, the talks in Paris yielded a “preliminary consensus on certain issues.”
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer outlined some of the issues to be addressed, including some that have caused friction, such as rare earth elements, whose refining is almost entirely controlled by China, and which are crucial for supplying the US arms industry.
Another area of great interest to the United States is rebalancing its large trade deficit with China, which it hopes to correct by increasing purchases of agricultural products (such as chicken, beef, and soybeans), energy products, and industrial goods (including aircraft).
According to the US trade official, the two delegations examined the possibility of establishing a mechanism to manage trade between the two countries, which would serve as a forum to identify products that China could sell to the United States and vice versa.
The basis for these discussions, which took place at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the French capital, was part of the agreement that Trump and Xi reached in Busan, South Korea, in late October, marking the end of months of deteriorating relations between the world’s two largest economies.
The trade war was initiated by the US president shortly after he took office in Jan 2025 for his second term, with the announcement of widespread tariffs on his main trading partners, arguing that they were taking advantage of the United States. However, Beijing did not back down.
China’s position of strength afforded by its size and the control it exerts over certain strategic sectors ensured a power struggle could potentially shatter many macroeconomic balances, and for which the Busan agreement provided a truce.
Trump’s visit to Beijing is scheduled from Mar 31 to April 2, but it could be postponed.
Bessent wanted to make it clear that the possible postponement of the US president’s trip has nothing to do with his demand that China participate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but rather with the need for Trump to continue directing military operations in the Middle East from the US.
Another issue on the table at the Paris negotiations was the investigations launched by the United States to assess the economic harm it believes it suffers from the practices of some of its main trading partners. These investigations would replace the tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court.
The Chinese expressed their displeasure with these investigations, believing they contribute to maintaining uncertainty and deteriorating the atmosphere.
SOURCE : EFE. | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
