Top economic officials from the U.S. and China finished their talks in Paris on Monday. They discussed possible agreements on farm goods, important minerals, and managing trade. These agreements could be decided by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in Beijing, according to sources close to the discussions.
The sources told Reuters that the “very steady” talks, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, would prepare some potential “results” for Trump’s planned trip to China at the end of March to meet Xi. However, the sources added that the final decisions rest with the leaders.
Still, Trump told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday that he might push back his meeting with Xi later this month. He wants Beijing to help unblock the critical Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed. “We may delay,” he said about the trip.
The U.S. and Chinese teams met for over six hours on Sunday. They gathered at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of mostly rich democracies that China is not a member of.
During the talks, China seemed open to buying more U.S. farm products, including chicken, beef, and other crops besides soybeans, one source said.
The source also mentioned that China is still committed to buying 25 million metric tons of American soybeans for each of the next three years, as agreed in the Trump-Xi trade deal from October 2025.
Spokespeople for the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office wouldn’t comment on the talks. Chinese officials left on Sunday without talking to reporters.
On Monday, China’s commerce ministry criticized the U.S. over an investigation into forced labor. They urged Washington to “fix its mistakes” and mentioned concerns they had already shared with the U.S.
The official Xinhua news agency said in a comment on Sunday that “real” progress in economic cooperation between China and the U.S. could help a struggling global economy feel more confident.
The Paris talks followed several meetings last year between Bessent, He, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang, all aimed at reducing tensions.
