Paris, France - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday is set to meet with Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, to kick off trade talks ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing.

Bessent is expected to discuss Trump's unpredictable tariff policies, the flow of rare earths and resources, controls on technology exports, and China's purchasing of US agricultural products.

He will be joined at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who last week announced sweeping trade probes against many of the US' key partners.

Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit in Beijing that's set to kick off on March 31. The event will be the first of its kind in nearly a decade.

"Thanks to the bonds of mutual respect between President Trump and President Xi, the trade and economic dialogue between the United States and China is moving forward," Bessent said in a statement last week.

"Under the guidance of President Trump, our team will continue to deliver results that put America's farmers, workers, and businesses first," he said ahead of the talks, which will take place from Sunday to Monday.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce on Friday said that Bessent and He "will engage in consultations on economic and trade issues of mutual concern."

Trade experts are cautious about whether either meeting will yield significant results, with one telling Reuters that the summit will likely leave things "about where they've been for the last four months."