Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He handed greater clout for Washington talks in bid to end trade war
- Xi Jinping delegates authority to Liu through special envoy status to show Beijing means business as fresh talks begin
- Possible memorandum of understanding to be discussed as clock ticks towards March 1, when tariff truce ends
China’s Vice-Premier Liu He will hold talks with top US officials on Thursday and Friday to discuss a possible memorandum of understanding to suspend the trade war between the two nations.
Liu will meet US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the Chinese commerce ministry said in a short statement, without giving further details. Liu will be travelling as a special envoy of President Xi Jinping, the statement said.
Peter Navarro, a fierce China critic and an assistant to US President Donald Trump on trade policy, would also join the talks, a separate White House statement said. It said Liu’s meeting would be preceded by deputy-level talks starting on Tuesday, led by deputy US trade representative Jeffrey Gerrish.
The outcome of the talks in Washington, likely to be the last before a 90-day tariff truce ends on March 1, will largely decide whether China and the United States can reach a pact – probably in the form of a memorandum of understanding – to suspend the battle that has been disturbing global markets and clouding growth prospects since last year.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang urged the sides to “seize the opportunity”. “I hope both sides can seize the opportunity and work together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that is acceptable to both,” Geng said in a daily press briefing on Tuesday.
