China, US discuss establishing bilateral working mechanism ahead of Trump's trip to Beijing

ISTANBUL

China and the US discussed establishing a bilateral working mechanism to "promote cooperation in trade and investment" ahead of US President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing later this month.

Both sides had "in-depth, candid, constructive exchanges," China's international trade representative Li Chenggang said at a news conference in Paris on Monday, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are leading the sixth round of economic and trade consultations between China and the US in the French capital Paris, as tensions in the Middle East disrupted global energy supplies. The three-day talks began on Sunday.

Previous rounds of talks were held in Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur, helping reduce tariffs that had previously climbed to triple-digit levels.

The two sides agreed that "stable" bilateral economic and trade relations are "beneficial" to both countries and the world, Li said.

He added that China's position on Section 301 investigations "has been consistent" and expressed Beijing's opposition to "such unilateral probes."

Washington earlier announced a Section 301 investigation targeting alleged forced labor practices in top trading partners, including Canada, China, the European Union and Mexico, along with dozens of other countries, ahead of the talks.

Trump has been scheduled to visit China between March 31 and April 2. However, he earlier told the UK-based daily Financial Times that he could delay a summit with Xi, as he urged China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway.