PetroChina, the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corp., said Tuesday that its net profit rose 2.3% from a year earlier to 46.81 billion yuan, equivalent to $6.42 billion.

Imports of crude oil into China surged in March and have continued to accelerate in April, according to analysts, as the country replenishes stocks despite expectations a weaker global economy will reduce demand.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday did not back President Donald Trump's assertion that tariff talks with China were under way and said he did not know if the U.S. president had talked to Chinese President Xi Jinping.