China announced, following a high-level meeting with US trade officials on Sunday, that the talks will have no effect if Washington goes ahead and enacts tariffs on Chinese imports. The statement came an hour after a meeting between US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He aimed to find a way to reduce the countries' trade deficit. Ross, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday for two days of talks, explained at the start of the meeting that he had had "friendly and frank" discussions on specific export items with Chinese officials. But after the two teams concluded discussions in the Diaoyutai state guesthouse, they left without making any statements to reporters. Later, the Chinese news agency Xinhua released a Chinese government statement that the two sides had made "positive and concrete progress" and had "good communication" in areas such as agriculture and energy. Nonetheless, the negotiations negotiated by the two delegations "will have no effect" if the United States imposes threatening tariffs on Chinese imports, Xinhua stressed. Washington surprisingly announced on Tuesday that it will impose $ 50 billion in customs duties on Chinese imports, despite previously agreeing to suspend tariffs. China had criticized the affair, saying it was "not afraid to fight a trade war". Ross's delegation included United States Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and several agriculture and energy officials. Liu was involved in the negotiations by Commerce Minister Zhong Shan and Central Bank Governor Yi Gang. This was the latest in a series of reciprocal visits by Chinese and US officials aimed at resolving trade frictions between the world's two largest economies. At the heart of the conflict is US President Donald Trump's desire to reduce the $ 375 billion trade deficit with China and curb Beijing's state support for high-tech firms and alleged intellectual property theft. . During a visit by Liu to Washington last month, China agreed to increase US imports, particularly in agriculture and energy, in order to reduce the deficit, but refused to commit to a specific target. The conflict also highlights the growing competition of world powers in high technology, with Washington criticizing Beijing's preferential treatment for tech companies and the lack of a level playing field for foreign players. China has promised to further open its markets and reduce tariffs on more than 1.000 consumer goods.
