President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shake hands during their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025.Image: keystone
Mar 12, 2026, 8:32 p.mMar 12, 2026, 8:32 p.m
A few weeks before US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to China, his Finance Minister Scott Bessent wants to meet China’s Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng in France.
Due to the mutual respect between Trump and China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping, trade and economic talks between the two countries are making progress, Bessent said. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Paris next Sunday and Monday.
US President Donald Trump has announced a visit to China that could reportedly begin at the end of March. Beijing has not yet confirmed this.
Rare earths vs. computer chips
Trump and Xi last met in South Korea at the end of October in the run-up to the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) and, among other things, agreed on a temporary break in the ongoing trade dispute.
However, there are still disputes regarding the export of rare earth elements from China or computer chips from the USA. After legal setbacks for Trump’s customs policy, the US government only initiated new investigations on Wednesday, the results of which could also serve as the basis for new punitive tariffs. The measure is aimed at numerous countries, including China. (sda/dpa)