China and US begin fresh round of trade talks in Paris

Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month.The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday. Talks began at 10.05am local time, according to a source familiar with the matter.Vice-Premier He was accompanied by Li Chenggang, China’s top international trade negotiator, and Bessent was accompanied by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.Tucked deep inside the residential and quiet 16th arrondissement of the French capital, the location might help with security efforts, which were slightly complicated by the fact that Sunday is also the day that French voters go to the polls for the first round of local elections.Most journalists gathered at the scene were from Chinese state media. Several other foreign outlets were present – including Bloomberg, Reuters and Japan’s Kyodo News – while French media were notably absent.The host country’s focus on its domestic elections was also reflected by the absence of French officials at the event. Unlike at previous talks in Europe, He and Bessent were greeted by OECD head Mathias Cormann, rather than officials from the host country.