US-China trade talks: low-key start to negotiations after first meeting in Paris

China and the US ended the first day of trade talks in Paris on Sunday without any major developments. Talks will continue tomorrow when the US delegation is set to leave. The Chinese delegation will stay one more day before leaving on Tuesday.The first day of the sixth round of trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – was rather uneventful for journalists waiting outside the venue, the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Vice-Premier He was accompanied by Li Chenggang, China’s top international trade negotiator, and Bessent was with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.Discussions started at 10.05am local time and lasted for roughly two and a half hours before they took a lunch break. The Chinese delegation left the venue while the US members stayed inside. Staff members from the US side could be seen bringing in takeaway bags from Schwartz’s Deli, a Canadian chain specialising in sandwiches.Preliminary framework agreed ahead of Trump-Xi meetingPreliminary framework agreed ahead of Trump-Xi meetingTalks resumed at around 2.15pm local time and lasted until 6:02 pm local time, when the Chinese delegation left. The talks will continue tomorrow. He and Bessent could be seen leaving the building. Some members of both delegations remained at the venue to continue negotiations after the chiefs left.Neither delegation made any comment to the gathered media on how the talks went.