Paris: Senior trade negotiators from China and the United States are set to meet in Paris for their sixth round of economic and trade consultations as tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt global energy supplies.

According to Anadolu Agency, China's Commerce Ministry announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng will head a delegation to France from March 14 to 17. The US delegation is expected to be led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The discussions will focus on economic and trade issues of mutual concern, guided by the consensus reached by the leaders of both nations.

The timing of the meeting is significant, coming ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2. While the White House has confirmed the visit, Beijing has yet to announce the schedule officially. Previous rounds of trade talks have occurred in various cities, including Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid, and Kuala Lumpur, and have been instrumental in reducing tariffs that had soared to triple-digit levels.

The consultations take place as the Middle East conflict continues to affect energy markets. Since around March 1, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane that manages approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day and about 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas trade. This has resulted in increased oil prices globally.

The regional tensions have been further exacerbated following joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, leading to retaliatory drone and missile attacks by Tehran across the region.