Both sides had been expected to talk this past weekend as part of a six-month review since the agreement, signed in January, took effect Feb 15. Speaking in Arizona earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he cancelled those plans because he is unhappy with China over its role in the Covid-19 pandemic.
China confirmed plans to talk with US officials soon to review progress on their preliminary trade deal, a rare engagement between the world’s largest economies as relations deteriorate on other issues ranging from human rights in Hong Kong to technological dominance.
The two nations will be in touch in the near term, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said in Beijing on Aug 20 when asked if the meeting will happen. Gao didn’t announce an exact date, or elaborate further.
