US, China Economic Chiefs Meet in Paris to Clear Path to Trump-Xi Summit

Talks focus on trade truce, rare earth minerals, and agricultural purchases ahead of leaders' meeting

Mar. 15, 2026 at 5:18pm

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Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday to iron out kinks in their trade truce and clear a smooth path for U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March. The discussions are expected to focus on shifting U.S. tariffs, the flow of Chinese-produced rare earth minerals and magnets to U.S. buyers, American high-tech export controls, and Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products.

Why it matters

The talks are aimed at stabilizing the U.S.-China economic relationship, which has been strained by trade tensions that threatened a near collapse of trade between the world's two largest economies. A successful meeting between Trump and Xi could help restore confidence in the increasingly fragile global economy.

The details

The talks, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to focus on shifting U.S. tariffs, the flow of Chinese-produced rare earth minerals and magnets to U.S. buyers, American high-tech export controls, and Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products. The two sides began talks on Sunday morning at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and were expected to continue on Monday.

  • The talks between Bessent, He, and other officials began on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
  • The talks are expected to continue on Monday, March 16, 2026.

The players

Scott Bessent

U.S. Treasury Secretary.

He Lifeng

Chinese Vice Premier.

Jamieson Greer

U.S. Trade Representative participating in the talks.

Li Chenggang

Chinese trade negotiator participating in the talks.

Donald Trump

U.S. President expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.

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What’s next

Trump and Xi could potentially meet three other times this year, including at a China-hosted APEC summit in November and a U.S.-hosted G20 summit in December that could yield more tangible progress.

The takeaway

The talks in Paris are a critical step in stabilizing the U.S.-China economic relationship and paving the way for a productive meeting between the two leaders. However, significant challenges remain, including issues around rare earth minerals, high-tech exports, and agricultural trade. Successful negotiations will require a pragmatic approach from both sides.