CHINA's commerce minister Wang Wentao is in the US this week for meetings with the commerce secretary and Washington's top trade official, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington announced last week, as the US seeks engagement with Beijing to salve damaged ties.
Liu Pengyu made the announcement at a Chinese embassy online briefing with journalists, adding that Beijing was open to communication at all levels with United States, but only on the basis of mutual respect.
The Chinese embassy later said in an emailed statement that both sides were still discussing details of the plans, reports Reuters.
A source familiar with planning for the meetings said that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao was expected to meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington this week before travelling to Detroit for a meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers.
Mr Wang would then meet with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on the sidelines of that gathering, scheduled for May 25-26.
Washington has expressed eagerness for high-level meetings with china in an effort to keep increasingly tense relations from veering toward conflict.
President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat Wang Yi recently in Vienna, and both sides recognized the need to move beyond an alleged spy balloon incident that dented relations between the superpowers, a senior US official has said.
Mr Biden has been seeking to hold a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping but neither side has offered updates on the prospects for such a call, or on the possibility of rescheduling a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr Blinken postponed a planned February trip after the US shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military sites.
SeaNews Turkey
Liu Pengyu made the announcement at a Chinese embassy online briefing with journalists, adding that Beijing was open to communication at all levels with United States, but only on the basis of mutual respect.
The Chinese embassy later said in an emailed statement that both sides were still discussing details of the plans, reports Reuters.
A source familiar with planning for the meetings said that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao was expected to meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington this week before travelling to Detroit for a meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers.
Mr Wang would then meet with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on the sidelines of that gathering, scheduled for May 25-26.
Washington has expressed eagerness for high-level meetings with china in an effort to keep increasingly tense relations from veering toward conflict.
President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat Wang Yi recently in Vienna, and both sides recognized the need to move beyond an alleged spy balloon incident that dented relations between the superpowers, a senior US official has said.
Mr Biden has been seeking to hold a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping but neither side has offered updates on the prospects for such a call, or on the possibility of rescheduling a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr Blinken postponed a planned February trip after the US shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military sites.
SeaNews Turkey