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Talks aimed at easing economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies gained momentum in Paris, where US and Chinese officials explored setting up a formal mechanism to manage trade and resolve disputes.
The idea surfaced during meetings between senior economic representatives from both sides, aimed at preparing the ground for a potential summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
‘Board of Trade’ concept discussed
“We talked about potentially having even a mechanism with the US and China, almost like what we might call a US-China Board of Trade,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in Paris Monday.
He said such a body could help formalise decisions on what goods the US should import from and export to China, providing a clearer framework for managing trade flows.
China’s vice minister for commerce, Li Chenggang, said the two sides also explored forming a working group to examine cooperation mechanisms for trade and investment.
Tariff issues remain central
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the talks included detailed discussions on tariffs, particularly as the Trump administration works to revise its trade measures.
The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down earlier emergency duties, prompting officials to consider alternative legal routes to impose tariffs.
Bessent also sought to ease concerns about a possible delay in Trump’s planned visit to China, which had been expected later this month.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I don’t think the meeting is in jeopardy, but it’s quite possible it could be delayed."
Shift from previous engagement frameworks
The discussions signal a possible return to a more structured approach to bilateral engagement after earlier mechanisms were scrapped.
During the Obama administration, the two countries held regular talks under the Strategic and Economic Dialogue framework, which Trump discontinued during his first term.
Since May last year, Bessent and Greer have instead been leading periodic discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials, held every several weeks or months.
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