Trump administration officials are planning to meet with a senior Chinese trade negotiator this week — but there’s little expectation it will yield a breakthrough in ending the nations’ trade standoff.
The negotiator, Li Chenggang, is expected to meet with deputy-level administration officials during his visit to Washington, a US government spokesperson told CNN. The Wall Street Journal first reported the meeting.
But the sit-down is not a formal negotiating session, and administration officials are skeptical that it will accomplish much. Chenggang was not invited by US officials and instead sought out the meeting on his own, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Criticism of Trump’s trade policies: His arrival comes just days after China’s ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, criticized Trump’s trade policies in a speech at a soybean industry event for “casting a shadow over China-U.S. agricultural cooperation,” according to a transcript published by the Chinese Embassy.
The remarks have ratcheted up tensions over agricultural issues at the center of the trade dispute, further complicating efforts by the two sides to find a permanent resolution.
Trump earlier this year launched a trade war against China, threatening to slap tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese imports before agreeing to hold off on most of the levies while the two sides negotiated.
The US and China have since held three formal negotiating sessions, with Trump agreeing earlier this month to extend the trade truce until November to give them more time to strike a deal. Still, major points of contention remain: Trump has demanded that China purchase significantly more US soybeans, and yesterday threatened to sharply escalate tariffs if the nation decides to once again curb exports of rare-earth magnets.
