US and China trade negotiators hit the ground running with dinner diplomacy in Beijing
- US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin prepare for a full day of talks on Friday
- White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow says negotiations could be extended by weeks or even months
Trade talks between China and the United States began with a working dinner in Beijing on Thursday night as negotiators wasted no time trying to speed up the high-stakes discussions.
The US delegation led by trade representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrived in Beijing on Thursday for the latest round of talks aimed at resolving sticking points at the centre of the ongoing US-China trade war.
“Although some progress have been made during the telephone negotiations between Vice-Premier Liu He and his US counterparts, there are still lots of work to do,” commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, adding that a full day of talks was scheduled for Friday.
Liu, China’s top trade negotiator, is then expected to visit Washington next week, but any final deal to end the trade war which has rattled the global economy since last year can only then be agreed at a proposed summit between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump.
The negotiations could be extended for weeks, or even months, said White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.