Paris, March 15 (QNA) - Senior economic officials from the United States and China held the first round of two days of talks today in the French capital, Paris, aimed at addressing disagreements related to the trade truce between the two countries and preparing the ground for US President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.

  The talks, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, focused on adjusting US tariffs, the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets produced in China to US companies, US controls on the export of advanced technology, and China's purchases of US agricultural products.

  A US Treasury Department spokesman said the two sides met for more than six hours at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, and talks are scheduled to resume tomorrow morning, Monday.

  Jameson Greer, the US Trade Representative and a participant in the negotiations, stated before the talks began that US officials are seeking to ensure stable relations between the United States and China. He said that the goal is to maintain access to rare earth elements necessary for the US manufacturing base, ensure continued Chinese purchases of American products, and provide an opportunity for the two presidents to meet and ensure relations move in the desired direction.

  These talks are part of a series of meetings held last year in European cities, aimed at easing tensions that nearly led to a complete collapse of trade between the world's two largest economies.

  The two sides are expected to review progress in fulfilling their commitments under the trade truce announced in October 2025 during the Busan summit in South Korea between Trump and Xi.

  That truce prevented a significant escalation of tensions, reduced US tariffs on Chinese imports, suspended China's strict restrictions on rare earth exports for a year, and halted the expansion of the US blacklist of Chinese companies barred from purchasing advanced American goods, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

  The US president will pay an official visit to Beijing from March 31 to April 2, his first visit since 2017 and at the start of his second term, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive trade truce and strengthening cooperation on sensitive energy issues.

  Through this visit, the US administration seeks to secure Chinese commitments to increase purchases of agricultural products and energy resources, including liquefied natural gas. Discussions will also focus on containing the repercussions of the war in the Middle East and ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks will also address tariffs and restrictions on technology exports, and reaching a sustainable understanding that prevents a recurrence of the trade crisis between the two countries. (QNA)