U.S. and China Set Paris Trade Talks as Final Step Before Trump’s Beijing Visit

Overview

• High-level delegations meet in Paris on March 15–16, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
• The agenda focuses on tariffs, the bilateral trade imbalance, and restrictions on advanced technologies, according to official statements.
• The Paris talks are presented as the sixth and likely final round before President Trump’s March 31–April 2 visit to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping.
• The White House this week launched investigations into economic harm targeting roughly 15 countries or blocs, including the EU and China, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of a recent tariff package.
• Negotiations unfold as the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz drive up oil and gas prices, adding external economic uncertainty.