China tones down expectations ahead of US trade war talks as Vice-Premier Liu He leads team to Washington
- The 13th round of talks will take place this week, but a source says the Chinese delegation is already planning to cut short its stay in Washington by one night
- The US is expected to raise tariffs on Chinese imports next week, while the issues surrounding Joe Biden and the Hong Kong protests also hang over the talks
China is subtly toning down expectations ahead of this week’s high-level trade talks with the United States in Washington as the two camps remain sharply divided over fundamental issues.
It will be the first meeting between the two countries’ top negotiators on US soil since the talks collapsed in May.
But for this round of discussions – the 13th between the sides –, Liu will not carry the title of “special envoy” for President Xi Jinping, an early indication that the 67-year-old vice-premier has received no particular instructions from China’s leader.
“The original plan [for the Chinese delegation] was to leave Washington on [October] 12th, but the departure could be moved ahead to the 11th. There’s not much optimism
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source briefed on preparations for the talks also told the South China Morning Post that the Chinese delegation may head to the airport on Friday after completion of the talks instead of following an earlier plan of departing on the next day of October 12th.