US delegation in China for talks over tariff row

A US delegation arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit to meet the Chinese Vice-Premier and other officials to defuse a potential trade war between the two countries over import tariffs.

The delegation led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would meet Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and other top officials to discuss mutual trade tariffs as well as China's unfair trade practices, the protection of intellectual property in China, and US' huge trade deficit with China, Efe news reported.

Mnuchin was accompanied by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Foreign Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, White House Adviser for Trade and Industry Peter Navarro as well as Chief Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow.

The delegation will meet US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and then meet Liu, who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping's Chief Economic Adviser.

"Our great financial team is in China trying to negotiate a level playing field on trade," US President Donald Trump had tweeted on Wednesday, adding that he looked forward to meeting Xi "in the not too distant future".

Tension between the two countries had escalated in recent times over trade protectionism policies of the US and had led to the imposition of high, mutual import tariffs.

"It is not realistic to resolve all issues through one round of negotiations," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

--IANS

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