US says "good conversation" after opening session of trade talks with China

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said China and US officials had a "good conversation" during the opening session of trade talks here.

Further negotiations are slated to be continued on the next day after which Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He is set to meet US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, reported South China Morning Post.

Except for Mnuchin, most of the delegates refused to comment while Chinese Vice-Minister for Finance Liao Min refused to speak saying he was heading out for dinner.

The meetings are a part of the agreement of a 'temporary truce' reached by Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during their dinner on December 1 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.

Part of their agreement was to engage in 90 days of negotiations with a view to achieving the needed structural changes in China that affect trade between the United States and China.

The US delegation comprises US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Steven Mnuchin, Trade adviser Peter Navarro, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs David Malpass, USTR chief agricultural negotiator Gregg Doug and deputy trade representative Jeffrey Gerrish.

Apart from Vice-Premier Liu He, Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang, Commerce vice-minister Wang Shouwen and Chinese Vice-Minister for Finance Liao Min, the Chinese team includes National Development and Reform Commission deputy chief Ning Jizhe, Foreign Vice-Minister Zheng Zeguang, Agriculture Vice-Minister Han Jun and Industry Vice-Minister Luo Wen.