China reveals that high-level trade war dialogue with US goes on as negotiators schedule January meeting
- China and US officials at vice-ministerial level talk trade and economy
- Talks are forum for ‘views on matters of mutual concern’ on tariffs
China and the United States held a vice-ministerial dialogue on trade and economic issues as part of efforts to de-escalate their trade war.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce said officials from both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual concern.
The ministry’s announcement came after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said negotiators charged with hammering out a broader truce in the China-US trade war will meet in January.
Both sides were now focused on trying “to document an agreement” by March 1, when the 90-day truce in the trade war ends, he said.
Mnuchin said neither he nor US President Donald Trump were aware of the arrest of Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Sabrina Meng Wanzhou in Canada when they met Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 1.
Mnuchin poured cold water on Trump’s declaration last week that he would be willing to intervene on Huawei’s behalf if it was required to help reach a trade deal between China and the US.
“We’ve been very clear and China understands that these are separate tracks,” he said.