China-US trade talks to resume in Washington next week

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is to travel to Washington next week to continue trade negotiations, following limited progress in talks in Beijing on Friday.

White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said, “China’s top economic adviser, the vice premier (Liu He), will be coming here next week to continue the discussions with the president’s economic team.”

Talks between the two sides, aimed at averting a trade war, failed to reach a deal last week, but both parties committed to continuing the dialogue.

According to Reuters, ‘Trump met with the US delegation in Washington over the weekend to assess the meetings. He tweeted that China “had become spoiled by US trade wins.’’’

Despite a lack of progress in initial talks, Chinese media reflected positively on the commitment to continue the dialogue, with the Communist Party’s People’s Daily stating that the ‘clouds are starting to part and the fog begins to disperse’ after more than a month of ‘wind and rain.’

The South China Morning Post also carries reports that China’s Commerce Ministry ‘was studying measures to further lower import tariffs on some food, pharmaceuticals and medical instruments,’ which, if implemented, ‘would at least partly address US demands for easier access to China’s markets.’

The Chinese Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Liu Xiaoming, will be speaking at Asia House on the prospect of a US-China trade war on 21 May. Details here.