Senior U.S. and Chinese economic officials are concluding two days of talks in Paris on Monday aimed at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The negotiations were led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Sources familiar with the discussions said the talks were “remarkably stable” and could produce proposals for consideration by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The potential agreements may be discussed when Trump travels to Beijing later this month to meet Xi, although both leaders would have the final decision on any outcomes.

Possible Deals On Agriculture And Trade

According to sources, the discussions covered possible cooperation in agriculture, critical minerals and a framework for managing trade between the two countries.

China showed openness to purchasing additional U.S. agricultural products, including poultry, beef and certain grains. Beijing has also maintained its commitment to buy around 25 million metric tonnes of American soybeans annually over the next three years under the October 2025 trade truce agreed by Trump and Xi.

Officials from both sides declined to comment publicly on the progress of the talks.

Plans For Trade Management Mechanisms

The two delegations also discussed creating new structures to manage trade and investment relations.

These proposals include a potential “Board of Trade” and “Board of Investment”, which would address economic cooperation and specific investment issues between the two countries.

One source said the proposed Board of Trade would focus on identifying sectors where both countries could expand trade without threatening national security or key supply chains.

Critical Minerals And Energy Supplies

Access to critical minerals was another major topic of discussion. U.S. officials raised concerns about limited supplies of certain Chinese minerals used in advanced manufacturing, including yttrium, which is used in jet engine turbines.

The talks also included U.S. requests for China to increase purchases of American energy products and aircraft manufactured by Boeing.

Uncertainty Over Trump-Xi Meeting

Despite the progress in Paris, uncertainty remains over the timing of a planned meeting between Trump and Xi.

Trump said in an interview published on Sunday that the summit could be delayed as Washington presses Beijing to help address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the conflict involving Iran.

Trade analysts said expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited, partly because global attention has shifted to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

(with inputs from Reuters)