China’s Vice-Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer start ‘endgame’ round of trade talks in Washington
- The talks follow two days of negotiations last week when Liu hosted US officials in Beijing
- Sticking points are said to include an enforcement mechanism that can hold China responsible for reforms it agrees to, as well as the removal of US tariffs
China and the United States started a fresh round of talks on Wednesday in Washington amid upbeat hopes of finalising a comprehensive agreement to end their protracted trade war.
Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He was greeted by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer outside the USTR office on Wednesday morning, shaking hands. In a rare display of enthusiasm, Liu waved to the reporters before entering the USTR office.
Larry Kudlow, White House economic adviser, said at an event hosted by The Christian Science Monitor that China acknowledged for the first time issues of intellectual property thefts, cyber hacking and forced technology transfer accused by the US but largely denied by China previously, according to a report by CNBC.
“They have for the first time acknowledged that we have a point. Several points,” Kudlow said, according to CNBC. “And I think that that has led to, you know, good negotiations”.
He also said the case of Huawei, China’s telecoms giant in legal disputes with the US government, had “generally not come up” during the talks. “We looked at it as a legal matter so far.”