Washington/ New York, July 10: The United States and Chinese trade representatives held a “constructive” telephonic conversation on Tuesday, Larry Kudlow, the White House economic adviser said it marked the latest round of dialogues between two sides since the world’s two largest economies are struggling a year-long trade war, tired of what they reached an agreement to a tariff truce.
According to Reuters news reports, US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and trade representative Robert Lighthizer held dialogues with China’s trade minister Zhong Shan and Chinese premier Liu he, in an effort to resolve trade spat between two nations, a US official in an emailed statement said.
Kudlow stated the talks “went well” and were “constructive”. He added both sides discussed ways for a face-to-face meeting. At the White House, he told reporters, “There are no miracles here.”
He added, “There was headway last winter and spring, then it stopped. Hopefully, we can pick up where we left off, but I don’t know that yet.”
In a short official statement, Chinse commerce ministry said the two sides, during the phone talks, “exchanged views on implementing the consensus of the two countries’ leaders at the Osaka meeting”.
Kudlow’s comments have suggested it was yet unclear whether the US and China would relaunch their stalled negotiations. He said a face-to-face dialogue between both sides’ negotiating team would be beneficial and could also occur in the Chinese capital Beijing, but offered no further details.
A US official said, “Both sides will continue these talks as appropriate.”
Addressing a CNBC-hosted event on Tuesday, Kudlow said, “President Xi is expected, we hope in return for our accommodations, to move immediately, quickly, while the talks are going on, on the agriculture (purchases),” adding, “That’s very, very important.”