China's top trade negotiator will lead the upcoming 13th round of talks aimed at resolving the trade dispute with the United States, a senior Chinese official has said. Vice Premier Liuhe will go to Washington for negotiations, said Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Xuen. He did not give specific dates, but said the talks would be after China's National Day holiday, which runs until Oct. 7. "The two sides should find a solution through equal dialogue in accordance with the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," Wang told a press conference with other officials, including Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan.
The Trump administration first imposed a tariff on Chinese imports last year in a bid to pressure China, which retaliated by imposing tariffs on US products. The escalating conflict between the world's two largest economies has pushed down share prices and poses a threat to the global economy as a whole.
Both sides made conciliatory gestures ahead of the next round of talks, but the agreement remains elusive.
The United States has postponed lifting tariffs on Chinese goods, and China has lifted punitive tariffs on soybeans. The move helps both US farmers and Chinese pig farmers, Vice Commerce Minister Qian Qiming told the news conference that the Chinese government had pumped more than 10,000 tons of pork from its reserves on Sunday to try to stabilize high prices ahead of the holiday.
China also increased pork imports by 40 percent in the first eight months of this year, as well as other meat imports.
