US-China trade talks leave ‘much room for cooperation’ despite few details and no response from Washington
- Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his American counterpart, Gina Raimondo, held a ‘candid and pragmatic exchange of views’ during talks on Thursday
- The third round of trade talks between Chinese and American officials came shortly after US President Joe Biden arrived in Britain ahead of the Group of 7 summit
While exact details surrounding the latest trade talks between China and the United States remain scarce, and Washington has not yet issued an official response, there are hopes in Beijing that a “more reasonable and rational” approach from the Biden administration could soon lead to a reduction in tariffs and a further easing of restrictions on Chinese companies.
Beijing confirmed that Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his American counterpart, Gina Raimondo, held a “candid and pragmatic exchange of views” during talks on Thursday morning – the third such meeting in the span of two weeks, after about nine months of silence.
Thursday morning’s statement from China’s Commerce Ministry, as well as the subsequent follow-up in the afternoon’s regular weekly media briefing, failed to provide any clear details of the topics covered – much the same as the two statements that accompanied the meetings that Vice-Premier Liu He had with both US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
“The phone call is likely an opportunity for both countries’ trade officials to get in touch, lay out our positions, and decide on the next steps,” said Wu Xinbo, director at the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University.