U.S.-China Trade Talks Resume on Sidelines of Asian Summit

The meeting between Ms. Tai and Mr. Wang came on the sidelines of a gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations in Bangkok, and marked the resumption of top-level trade discussions between the world’s two largest economies.

Trade relations between the two nations have been strained after China failed to meet its key commitments under a bilateral trade deal signed by former President

Donald Trump

that expired last December.

The USTR said Ms. Tai and Mr. Wang “discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication” between the two countries. Ms. Tai also shared her vision for the APEC as the U.S. assumes the chairmanship of the 21-nation group for next year.

On bilateral trade, Ms. Tai emphasized Washington’s continued concern about challenges stemming from China’s nonmarket economic practices, following a similar remark by Mr. Biden in his meeting with Mr. Xi, according to a person familiar with the conversation.

This person said no new initiatives to advance bilateral trade or resolve problems were discussed.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Friday’s meeting marked the first direct engagement between Ms. Tai and a senior Chinese official this year, after her conversation with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, conducted remotely, late last year failed to yield meaningful outcomes ahead of the expiration of Mr. Trump’s “Phase One” trade deal.

China fell sharply short of its target to increase imports of U.S. products under the deal, a shortfall Beijing attributes to drops in trade amid Covid-19.

Tensions between the two nations have risen considerably this year, particularly following House Speaker

Nancy Pelosi’s

visit to Taiwan in August, followed by China’s aggressive military exercises around the island.

While the USTR hasn’t implemented specific measures to punish China for its noncompliance of the bilateral deal, the U.S. launched an effort to boost cooperation with nations in the region to counter China under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, as well as a separate initiative with Taiwan to discuss bilateral trade.

The Commerce Department, meanwhile, unveiled stringent export controls to restrict shipments of advanced semiconductors and technologies to China.

Write to Yuka Hayashi at [email protected]

The meeting between Ms. Tai and Mr. Wang came on the sidelines of a gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations in Bangkok, and marked the resumption of top-level trade discussions between the world’s two largest economies.

Trade relations between the two nations have been strained after China failed to meet its key commitments under a bilateral trade deal signed by former President

Donald Trump

that expired last December.

The USTR said Ms. Tai and Mr. Wang “discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication” between the two countries. Ms. Tai also shared her vision for the APEC as the U.S. assumes the chairmanship of the 21-nation group for next year.

On bilateral trade, Ms. Tai emphasized Washington’s continued concern about challenges stemming from China’s nonmarket economic practices, following a similar remark by Mr. Biden in his meeting with Mr. Xi, according to a person familiar with the conversation.

This person said no new initiatives to advance bilateral trade or resolve problems were discussed.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Friday’s meeting marked the first direct engagement between Ms. Tai and a senior Chinese official this year, after her conversation with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, conducted remotely, late last year failed to yield meaningful outcomes ahead of the expiration of Mr. Trump’s “Phase One” trade deal.

China fell sharply short of its target to increase imports of U.S. products under the deal, a shortfall Beijing attributes to drops in trade amid Covid-19.

Tensions between the two nations have risen considerably this year, particularly following House Speaker

Nancy Pelosi’s

visit to Taiwan in August, followed by China’s aggressive military exercises around the island.

While the USTR hasn’t implemented specific measures to punish China for its noncompliance of the bilateral deal, the U.S. launched an effort to boost cooperation with nations in the region to counter China under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, as well as a separate initiative with Taiwan to discuss bilateral trade.

The Commerce Department, meanwhile, unveiled stringent export controls to restrict shipments of advanced semiconductors and technologies to China.

Write to Yuka Hayashi at [email protected]