China, U.S. Negotiators to Meet Next Week for Trade Talks

Chinese and the U.S. negotiators will next week hold their first face-to-face talks since Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agreed on a truce to their trade war last month, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday, in a sign that working-level negotiations are gaining traction.
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish will lead a delegation to China on Monday and Tuesday, with the goal of having “positive and constructive discussions with the Chinese side’s working group on implementing the important agreements reached by the two countries’ heads of state at their Argentina meeting,” an unnamed ministry spokesperson said in a statement (link in Chinese).
The visit was confirmed Friday during a phone discussion between vice ministerial-level officials from the two countries, the statement said.
Chinese and U.S. officials have held several rounds of talks over the phone since Xi and Trump called a truce in the trade war, with the goal of reaching a long-term agreement by an early March deadline. But they have yet to meet in person to have more lengthy and detailed negotiations. The visit by Gerrish provides evidence that bilateral negotiations to resolve the trade tensions are moving forward.
Over the past month, China has resumed importing U.S. soybeans, temporarily slashed punitive tariffs on U.S.-made cars and auto parts, and announced a new crackdown on intellectual property rights infringement, all moves to address Washington’s concerns and advance a trade deal.
Trump last week said he was expecting “big progress” in trade negotiations with China after a “long and very good call” with Xi.
“Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute,” he said on Twitter on Saturday.
“Big progress being made!”
Contact reporter Fran Wang (fangwang@caixin.com)
- 1Cover Story: How Bad Is China’s Manufacturing Exodus?
- 2After Junk Downgrade, China’s Largest Developer Announces $441 Million Bond Buyback
- 3CATL Unveils Battery That Power a Car Up to 1,000 Kilometers on One Charge
- 4Roundup: Where Analysts Think China’s Economy Is Going This Year
- 5Two Killed in Nio Test Car That Fell From Third Floor
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas