Trump-Xi summit gets a high-stakes warm-up in Paris over tariffs and Taiwan

One thorny matter is US weapon sales to Taiwan.

• US and China negotiators to meet in Paris to plan leaders' summit
• Talks to address tariffs, fentanyl, Taiwan, and chip exports
• Outcome could influence Trump-Xi summit on March 31-April 2 in Beijing

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The framework for US President Donald Trump’s summit with China’s Xi Jinping is set to be hashed out this weekend as negotiators meet to discuss thorny issues such as tariffs, fentanyl and Taiwan.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng will convene in Paris on Sunday and Monday to map out deliverables for the leaders’ summit slated for March 31 to April 2 in Beijing. Other issues include the potential for Chinese investment in the US and exports of advanced semiconductors, such as those manufactured by Nvidia Corp.

While China has condemned Trump’s war on Iran, it has shown few signs it’ll back out of the summit as it seeks to stabilize relations with the world’s biggest economy. And even as the US steps up efforts to cut reliance on Chinese rare earths, the lack of alternative supply for now gives Washington strong incentive to avoid any blowup in talks.

The outcome of the Paris negotiations will give an indication of the scale of deal making that can be achieved when Trump and Xi meet. Already, some Chinese officials have privately voiced concerns that the last minute planning may limit deliverables.

Melanie Hart, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, says while there may be some tweaks to plans for Trump’s visit, she doesn’t expect the Paris talks to derail the trip.

“It could be a shorter time-frame because of what’s happening in Iran,” she said. “It could be dropped in terms of the pomp and circumstance. There’s plenty of room to move the lever up and down on the optics and on what comes out of it. But I don’t expect either side to walk away.”

One thorny matter is US weapon sales to Taiwan. In mid February, Trump said he was discussing the issue with Xi and will “make a determination pretty soon.” A Chinese account of an early-February Trump-XI call said the US must “handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence” — unusually direct language for Xi, who normally sticks to broad statements on Taiwan.