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US-China relations: Biden’s trade team set for first talks to discuss phase one deal
- US Trade Representative Katherine Tai is expected to talk to her Chinese counterpart Liu He soon to review the agreement
- Topics up for discussion likely to include the Chinese commitment to buy US$200 billion of goods and intellectual property protections
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Top trade negotiators from China and the Biden administration may hold their first conversation soon to review the phase one trade deal, two sources familiar with the discussion said.
“The talk at the principal level may come soon. Both sides need to review the progress of the deal and put on the table the divergence and conflicts”, said one of the sources.
Katherine Tai, who was sworn in as the US Trade Representative on March 18, has held over 20 virtual meetings with her counterparts, covering all major economies apart from China.
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The last time the two biggest economies discussed the phase one deal – a two-year agreement signed in January last year that took effect one month later – was in August last year.
The deal stipulates that senior level consultations take place every six months.
Tai said on Wednesday that she expects to engage “in the near term” with the Chinese side, led by vice-premier Liu He, to assess the implementation of the trade deal.
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