China, US hold in-depth, candid and constructive talks on trade 
2019-08-01
CHINESE Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held the 12th round of China-US high-level economic and trade consultations in Shanghai on Tuesday and yesterday.
Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue.
In line with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in Osaka, the two sides conducted candid, efficient, constructive and in-depth exchanges on major issues of common concern in the economic and trade field.
The two sides also discussed the increased purchase of US agricultural products by China according to its own domestic needs and favorable conditions to be offered by the US side for the purchase.
“We believe that as long as the two sides negotiate in an equal manner and take the legitimate concerns into consideration, a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement will be eventually reached, which conforms to not only the interests of China and the United States, but also the interests of the international community,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a press conference with his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai yesterday, at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) foreign ministers’ meeting
Wang said the resumption of the trade talks proved that no matter how many complicated problems the two countries are facing, the two sides still need to communicate to find a solution. There are more room for cooperation than differences.
Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan, Governor of the People’s Bank of China Yi Gang, Vice Minister in Charge of the National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe, Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min, Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Wang Zhijun, Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Agricultural Work Leading Group and Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun, and Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen joined the consultations.
The two sides will hold the next round of high-level economic and trade consultations in the United States in September.
Shanghai was the place where the 1972 China-US joint communique was signed, exerting a unique role in the history of China-US negotiations.
