China, US discuss ‘global macroeconomic, financial challenges’ and ‘economic prospects’ as top officials meet
- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and People’s Bank of China (PBOC) governor Yi Gang met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit on Wednesday
- It represented the first such high-level contact in four months and came after President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Joe Biden also met at the G20 on Monday
A meeting of top Chinese and US financial officials has fuelled expectations of further talks between the world’s two largest economies, with both needing to address “global macroeconomic and financial challenges” as well as their respective “economic prospects”.
It came after President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Joe Biden also met at the G20, although the meeting between Yellen and China’s central bank chief was viewed to be more symbolic with Yi expected to step down as governor after being left off the 376-member Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the party elites and top decision making body.
Yellen said on Twitter that the pair had discussed “global macroeconomic and financial challenges, including economic prospects of our two countries”, and that she was looking forward to “future engagements” with Chinese economic officials.
A PBOC statement following the meeting referred to the exchange as “constructive”.