San Francisco (AFP) – The United States and China plan to continue their trade talks next year, the Commerce Department reported this Friday, despite tensions between the two major world powers.
First change: November 18, 2023 – 12:22
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The announcement came after Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Forum for Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit being held in San Francisco this week.
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo discussed bilateral trade relations with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on Thursday.
“During the meeting, the two discussed the progress of the working groups on trade issues and planned an in-person meeting in early 2024,” the Commerce Department said in a statement.
Both sides also want to hold technical talks in January to strengthen the protection of trade secrets.
Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have escalated in recent years over a wide range of issues, ranging from human rights to export controls.
The United States is seeking to limit China’s access to microchips, which are crucial to developing cutting-edge technologies from artificial intelligence to weapons, as a matter of national security.
Xi told Biden this week that such actions harmed China’s “legitimate interests.”
The U.S. Commerce Department plans to work with Chinese authorities to boost ties by reviving a tourism summit planned for May in the Chinese city of Xi’an.
“Secretary Raimondo also emphasized that protecting national security is non-negotiable,” the statement said, adding that U.S. export controls are not intended to curb China’s growth.
© 2023 AFP