ISTANBUL 

European stock markets ended Tuesday mixed as investors await updates from ongoing trade talks between China and the US.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 slightly fell 0.02%, or 0.12 points, to close Tuesday at 553.12.

Germany's DAX 40 was down 0.77% to close at 23,987.56 points, and Italy's FTSE MIB 30 index dropped 0.63% to 40,207.57 points.

Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 climbed 0.24% to 8,853.08 points and France's CAC 40 earned 0.17% to close at 7,804.33.

The top-performing industries in Europe on Tuesday were automobiles and oil and gas, both of which gained around 1.8%. This may be due to expectations that the negotiations would end the tariff impasse between the world’s largest economies and open the door for more agreements.

The meeting between delegations from the US and China started at London’s Lancaster House in the morning and continued after lunch on its second day.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, representing Washington in the talks, said the meeting went "well," while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called it "productive."

The talks were expected to revolve around China's restrictions on exports of rare earths to US and Washington's restrictions on exports of high-tech to China, as well as a dispute over tariffs.

The meeting followed US President Donald Trump's phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, which he said "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both countries."

The two sides are aiming to build on a May 12 deal struck in Geneva, when they agreed to a 90-day suspension of most duties, and to roll back measures imposed since early April after Trump announced higher tariffs on US trading partners.

Both sides have accused the other in recent weeks of breaching their deal.