Minister Zhong Shan joined the discussion this week in a move observers say shows need to involve more experts as negotiations with the US get tougher. His deputy, Yu Jianhua, is also expected to take more of a role, the South china Morning Post has reported.
The news article explained that China seeks to strengthen its trade negotiation team, including by involving Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, as Beijing and Washington restart talks on a range of thorny issues.
“Zhong joined a phone call with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday – the first time he had been part of a direct conversation with Washington’s negotiators – in a move that observers said showed Beijing’s need to enlist more experts as the talks get tougher.
It was the first telephone call between top negotiators since Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump agreed to resume stalled talks on the year-long trade war during their summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29. Even before talks officially restart, China’s imports of American farm products – which the two sides have yet to agree on – are looming as the next contentious issue.”