China, US agree to set up commercial issues working group

BEIJING: China and the United States on Monday agreed to set up a working group to “seek solutions on trade and investment issues,” Washington’s Department of Commerce said.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao agreed at a meeting in Beijing that “the working group will meet twice annually at the Vice Minister level, with the US hosting the first meeting in early 2024,” according to a readout from Washington.

After meetings between U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the department said the exchange would provide a platform to reduce misunderstanding of U.S. security policies.

The first in-person meeting will occur at the assistant secretary level at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on Tuesday, the statement said.

China has sharply criticized U.S. efforts to block China’s access to advanced semiconductors through export controls, but Raimondo has said those are not open for debate.