Sino-US trade talks teams agree to further communications on disputes

Negotiators for China and the United States agreed to keep lines of communication open in order to resolve their trade differences.

The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Tuesday that Vice-Premier Liu He spoke by telephone with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday.

According to the brief statement, the two sides exchanged opinions on economic and trade issues in line with the instructions made by the heads of the two countries. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain contact.

The leaders of China and the US are expected to meet during the G20 Summit this week in Japan, according to earlier reports.

Experts said economic and trade consultation teams from the two countries need to respond to both sides' core concerns effectively, and treat each other equally.

"Negotiations cannot be one-sided," said Zhou Mi, deputy director of the Institute of American and Oceania Studies of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

"During consultations, negotiators need to take into consideration both parties' core concerns, and respond to these concerns in an effective way. That is an essential condition for reaching consensus on the text of a deal," Zhou said.