China says trade talks to resume in Washington next week

U.S. trade officials met with their Chinese counterparts and other top officials in Beijing on Friday, where the two sides worked to resolve a trade dispute that has engulfed the two countries for months.

{mosads}Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday after a week of senior-level meetings in Beijing. Further discussions are planned for Washington D.C. next week.

Representatives from the U.S. and China have been negotiating since the beginning of the year in an attempt to resolve a costly trade war that has so far led to back-and-forth tariff action from both governments.

Productive meetings with China’s Vice Premier Liu He and @USTradeRep Amb. Lighthizer. pic.twitter.com/KxOZffFXAa

— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) February 15, 2019

Reuters reports that Xi touted the talks’ progress on Chinese state television Friday, while expressing his hope that negotiators could continue to work towards a “mutually beneficial” outcome next week in Washington.

“The consultations between the two sides’ teams achieved important step-by-step progress,” Xi said, according to Reuters.

“Next week, both sides will meet again in Washington. I hope you will continue efforts to advance reaching a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement,” he reportedly added.

Reuters reports that Lighthizer told journalists the two sides had made “headway” with this week’s talks.

“We feel that we have made headway on very, very important, and very difficult issues. We have additional work to do but we are hopeful,” Lighthizer reportedly said after the talks.

China and the Trump administration have battled for months over alleged unfair trade practices, which the U.S. says Chinese companies often engage in. China has denied using unfair trade practices and has imposed its own tariffs on products manufactured or grown in states that supported President Trump during the 2016 election.