The talks mark the first official public engagement between the world's two largest economies to resolve a trade war escalated by Trump shortly after his return to office in January.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer will attend the talks on behalf of the United States, their offices said, AFP reported.

Bessent told Fox News that the sides would hold meetings on Saturday and Sunday intended to lay the groundwork for future negotiations. 

"We will agree what we're going to talk about. My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about the big trade deal," Bessent told Fox News Channel's "The Ingraham Angle" show.

"We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward," he added.

Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend for Beijing, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

"Vice Premier He, as the Chinese lead person for China-US economic and trade affairs, will have a meeting with the US lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent," the Chinese foreign ministry said.

A Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson confirmed that China had agreed to meet the US envoys, Reuters reported.

"On the basis of fully considering global expectations, China's interests, and the appeals of US industry and consumers, China has decided to re-engage the US," the Chinese statement said.

"There is an old Chinese saying: Listen to what is said, and watch what is done. [...] If [the US] says one thing but then does another, or attempts to use talks as a cover to continue coercion and blackmail, China will never agree."

The USTR announced that Greer would also meet with "his counterpart from the People's Republic of China to discuss trade matters," without naming He, AFP reported.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January, his administration has levied new tariffs totaling 145 percent on goods from China, with some sector-specific measures stacked on top.

Beijing retaliated by slapping 125 levies on US imports to China, along with more targeted measures.

The tit-for-tat tariffs have left the two nations with cripplingly high levies that have shocked financial markets and reportedly caused a sharp slowdown in bilateral trade.

"This isn't sustainable, as I have said before, especially on the Chinese side. 145 percent, 125 percent is the equivalent of an embargo. We don't want to decouple. What we want is fair trade," Bessent said.