China’s Vice Premier Liu He, head of the country’s negotiation team in Sino-U.S. trade talks, will sign a “Phase 1” deal in Washington next week.
The Commerce Ministry said on Thursday that Liu will visit Washington on January 13-15.
According to Reuters, spokesman Gao Feng said negotiating teams from both sides remain in close communication on the particular arrangements of the signing.
U.S. President Donald Trump had on December 31 announced that the Phase 1 deal with China would be signed on January 15 at the White House.
Trump also said he would sign the deal with “high-level representatives of China”, and that he would later travel to Beijing to begin talks on the next phase.
The Phase 1 deal reached last month is expected to cut tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of U.S. farm, energy and manufactured goods while addressing some disputes over intellectual property.
The United States launched a trade war against Beijing a year and a half ago over allegations of unfair trade practices, such as theft of U.S. intellectual property and subsidies that unfairly benefit Chinese state-owned companies.
