Week of talks make progress: Xi Jinping
Talks between China and the United States this week made important progress, President Xi Jinping told top US trade negotiators yesterday, adding that efforts would continue in Washington next week to resolve their bruising trade war.
Xi met US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after a full week of trade negotiations at senior and deputy levels in Beijing, and called for a deal both sides could accept, state media said.
US duties on $200 billion worth of imports from China are set to rise to 25 percent from 10 percent if no deal is reached by March 1 to address US demands that China curb forced technology transfers and better enforce intellectual property rights.
After the conclusion of talks, which included a banquet on Thursday, Mnuchin said on Twitter that he and Lighthizer had held "productive meetings" with Xi's top economic adviser, Vice Premier Liu He.
"The consultations between the two sides' teams achieved important step-by-step progress," Xi said, according to state television. "Next week, both sides will meet again in Washington. I hope you will continue efforts to advance reaching a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement," Xi said during a meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
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