China, US to push forward phase-one deal

Phone talks come as world's two largest economies seek solution to trade conflict

Vice-Premier Liu He and senior US officials held talks by telephone on Tuesday, with both sides agreeing to continue pushing forward the implementation of the phase-one trade deal the two nations signed in January.

Experts and business leaders said the talks came as the world's two largest economies seek a solution to trade tensions amid the sluggish world economy and the globally spreading COVID-19 pandemic. In the next step, they said the two sides are likely to discuss specific issues in fields such as protection of intellectual property rights and financial trade and expect to see an improvement in economic and trade ties that benefits companies on both sides.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, Liu had a phone call with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. This came after reports that planned high-level talks on implementing the phase-one trade deal had been postponed.