(Bloomberg) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He attended the first day of talks aimed at resolving the trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies, according to people familiar with the matter and a photo seen by Bloomberg.
Liu is the top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who led previous negotiations in Washington that produced a deal that President Donald Trump then repudiated. Liu’s presence was unexpected as the Chinese had previously said the talks would be led by a vice-minister-level from the Ministry of Commerce.
The Ministry of Commerce didn’t immediately respond to a fax seeking comment on Liu’s appearance.
His participation at the meeting, held at the ministry’s premises, signals that China is attaching high importance to the talks, even if the main participants this time are mid-level officials. It wasn’t clear how long Liu stayed at the negotiating table or what he said, the people said.
The talks are the first face-to-face interactions between the U.S. and China since both presidents met in Argentina and agreed a temporary truce in their tit-for-tat tariff war. More senior-level discussions are expected later this month, with the South China Morning Post reporting that Trump and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan may meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Haze Fan in Beijing at hfan40@bloomberg.net;Peter Martin in Beijing at pmartin138@bloomberg.net;Miao Han in Beijing at mhan22@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net, James Mayger
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