US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China's Vice Premier He Lifeng are set to meet in Geneva in an attempt to cool the trade war between the world's two biggest economies.

"Sustained dialogue between the world's two largest economies is critical to easing trade tensions," the World Trade Organization spokesperson said.

These are the highest-level talks between Beijing and Washington since US President Donald Trump launched a trade war following his return to the White House earlier this year.

Since then, the two sides have been imposing ever-increasing tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products, causing turmoil in their respective economies and, more generally, in the rest of the world.

The talks in Geneva -- being held at Washington's request, according to Beijing -- are shrouded in the utmost secrecy; neither the time nor the location, let alone the precise agenda, have been made public.