BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media expressed caution on Thursday ahead of key trade talks with senior U.S. officials in Beijing, saying China will stand up to U.S. bullying if needed but that it was still better to hash things out around the negotiating table.
A breakthrough deal to fundamentally change China’s economic policies is viewed as highly unlikely during the two-day visit, though a package of short-term Chinese measures could delay a U.S. decision to impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese exports.
The discussions, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, are expected to cover a wide range of U.S. complaints about China’s trade practices, from allegations of forced technology transfers to state subsidies for technology development.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said the delegation would arrive Thursday morning and planned to leave Friday evening. They would meet the Chinese on both days, in addition to U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad, it added.
In an editorial, the official China Daily said Beijing wanted the talks to produce “feasible solutions to put an end to the ongoing feud” and that they could go well if the U.S. delegation genuinely wants to listen as well as talk.
China “will stand up to the U.S.’ bullying as necessary. And as a champion of globalization, free trade and multilateralism, it will have strong support from the international community”, the English-language paper added.
