Top Chinese economic adviser to meet with US trade delegation

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s senior economic adviser is slated to meet with a U.S. trade delegation in Beijing on Thursday and Fridays as tensions on trade between the two countries heat up.

{mosads}China said in a statement on Wednesday that Vice Premier Liu He would “exchange views” on trade with the U.S. delegation, which will include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow and trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro, according to Reuters.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a news conference on Wednesday that she expected the talks to be constructive if the U.S. acted in good faith.

Trade tensions between the two countries ramped up after President Trump announced his plan to slap tariffs on up to $150 billion worth of Chinese goods in an effort to punish China for policies the U.S. says make American companies give up their intellectual property to Chinese competitors. 

The U.S. and China were supposed to take part in trade talks last February when Liu traveled to Washington, D.C., but the administration announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum as Liu arrived in the U.S. 

China did not reveal what specifically was on the agenda for this week’s talks.