BEIJING/WASHINGTON (AFP, REUTERS) - A Chinese vice finance minister will visit the United States on Wednesday (Sept 18) to lay the groundwork for high-level talks in October aimed at resolving a bitter trade war trade talks next month, state media said.
The report came after the US Trade Representative's office said on Monday that deputy-level US-China trade talks are scheduled to start in Washington on Thursday (Sept 19).
The United States and China have been embroiled in a bruising trade war for more than a year but they have eased off some of their tit-for-tat tariffs ahead of negotiations in October.
The official Xinhua news agency said vice finance minister Liao Min will lead a delegation visiting the United States on Wednesday to "pave the way" for the higher level talks.
Vice-Premier Liu He has acted as President Xi Jinping's pointman in the trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and USTrade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
Last week, China said it would spare some US products, including major items such as soybeans and pork, from additional tariffs while US President Donald Trump delayed an increase in punitive duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods for two weeks, until Oct 15.
A USTR spokesman did not offer any further details about the deputy-level talks. Earlier, US Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tom Donohue said that US Trade Representative Lighthizer told business executives that he was seeking a "real agreement" that addresses intellectual property and technology transfer issues first raised by the USTR two years ago.
Donohue, speaking at a news conference to urge congressional approval of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, said that Lighthizer "did indicate that there was some movement in the direction of purchasing of (.S) agricultural products and other issues".
But Lighthizer gave no indication that the talks may produce an interim deal with a more limited scope, as suggested by some media reports, Donohue said.
The head of the biggest US business lobbying group added that it would be difficult to secure an agreement that fully addresses US demands for sweeping changes to China's intellectual property and technology transfer practices, market access and subsidy issues.
"While I'm optimistic about it, I'm also a dead-ass realist and this is not a simple problem," Donohue said of the new round of talks.
China's commerce ministry said on Tuesday that vice-finance minister will lead a delegation to visit the United States on Wednesday for trade talks,
The visit by Liao Min will pave the way for the China-US high-level economic and trade consultations in October in Washington, it said.
The talks are aimed at resolving a bitter trade war that has dragged on for over a year and hurt global growth. Liao is also deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs.
Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to meet with China's top negotiator, Vice-Premier Liu He, in early October.
President Donald Trump last week delayed a tariff increase that had been scheduled for Oct 1 on US$250 billion worth of Chinese goods after China also delayed tariffs on some US imports.
The world's two largest economies have not held in-person talks since late July towards resolving their 14-month trade war, which has roiled markets, disrupted supply chains and threatened global growth.
Economic factors are weighing on both sides, said Stephen Kho, former acting chief counsel on China enforcement at USTR who is now a partner at Akin Gump law firm.
"Both sides are feeling the pain now. So an interim deal could be done, but if they're looking for a comprehensive deal ... that will be very hard," Kho said.
