China-US Trade Talks: Concerns Over US Sanctions

China has expressed concerns about US trade sanctions, including Section 301 of the US Trade Act, during the second vice-ministerial meeting of the China-US trade working group.

According to Xinhua News Agency and China’s Ministry of Commerce, the meeting was held in Tianjin, China, and was co-chaired by Wang Shouwen, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Representative for International Trade of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade of the United States.

China raised concerns about US Section 301 investigations into shipbuilding and other sectors, sanctions against Chinese companies, restrictions on investment from both countries, and unfair treatment of Chinese companies in the US.

China emphasized that the US national security concept has been overly expanded and that clarifying the boundaries of national security in economic and trade issues would help business cooperation. It also opposed the US claim of “overproduction” in order to impose trade and investment restrictions.

The two countries agreed to provide each other with necessary support for trade and investment promotion activities and maintain communication in areas such as border data flow, inspection and quarantine, health and women’s health, medical devices, and clean energy.

They also plan to strengthen cooperation within frameworks such as the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and expressed their intention to maintain dialogue with companies and listen to their requests.