Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will go to Beijing next week for continued high-level trade negotiations, the White House announced.
The talks will begin March 28 and are “aimed at improving the trade relationship between the United States and China.” Also participating in the meetings are Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish and other top officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Treasury Department.
Following the trip to Beijing, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will lead a delegation to Washington beginning April 3, the White House said.
The U.S. and China have been engaged in ongoing discussions over a trade deal, and President Trump told reporters Friday progress has been made.
The president also said during a speech in Lima, Ohio, this week his administration has “taken historic action to confront China’s trading abuses.”
Though Trump has been optimistic about the ongoing trade talks, Trump said his administration would not lift tariffs imposed on Chinese imports once agreement on a trade deal is reached.
“We’re talking about leaving them and for a substantial period of time, because we have to make sure that if we do the deal with China, that China lives by the deal,” he said.
