Concrete progress on trade talks
CHINESE and US teams, led by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, held economic and trade consultations in Beijing on Saturday and yesterday, according to a statement issued by the Chinese side yesterday.
“To implement the consensus reached in Washington, the two sides have had good communication in various areas such as agriculture and energy, and have made positive and concrete progress while relevant details are yet to be confirmed by both sides,” the statement said.
Liu is also chief of the Chinese side of the ChinaUS comprehensive economic dialogue.
“The attitude of the Chinese side remains consistent,” said the statement.
To meet the people’s evergrowing needs for a better life and the requirements of highquality economic development, China is willing to increase imports from other countries, including the United States, which will benefit people of both countries and the rest of the world, it noted.
“Reform and opening-up as well as expanding domestic demand are China’s national strategies. Our set pace will not change,” the statement said.
The outcome of the talks should be based on the prerequisite that the two parties meet each other halfway and will not engage in a trade war, according to the statement.
“All economic and trade outcomes of the talks will not take effect if the US side imposes any trade sanctions including raising tariffs,” the statement said.
Ross arrived in Beijing on Saturday. The US delegation at the Beijing talks included Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David Malpass, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney, and US Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud.
Other officials and technical experts from the Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury, US Trade Representative, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Energy also took part, the White House said.
China’s delegation included central bank Governor Yi Gang, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan, and Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.