BEIJING, April 30 - Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video conference on Thursday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in what Chinese state broadcaster CCTV described as "candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges." The Chinese side voiced "serious concern over the recent U.S. restrictive trade measures against China," the broadcaster reported.
The participants agreed to efforts to "further enhance consensus, manage differences and strengthen cooperation," according to CCTV. The three officials previously met in person in March for trade talks in Paris.
China characterized the video call as focused on "properly resolving economic and trade issues of mutual concern and expanding pragmatic cooperation." The discussion comes several weeks ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May.
The U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Background to the current outreach includes an uneasy trade truce reached last October when the two sides met in Busan, South Korea after a months-long tit-for-tat trade war that was sparked by the so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs. Despite tensions in other areas, ties between Beijing and Washington have remained largely calm in the run-up to the planned May summit, even as energy and geopolitical complications stemming from the war on Iran have added complexity to the relationship.
Both governments have also taken steps that appear aimed at strengthening their negotiating positions prior to the leaders' meeting. Washington has curbed tool shipments to one of China’s leading chipmakers, while Beijing has implemented trade measures that, according to analysts, could seriously undercut American efforts to reduce supply chain dependence on China.
State media reported that during the Thursday call, both sides expressed willingness to "promote the health, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations." The description focused on managing differences and increasing pragmatic cooperation without detailing specific follow-up steps.
Observers will be watching whether the diplomatic tone and the commitments made on the call translate into concrete measures ahead of the mid-May summit, and how recent trade actions by both sides interact with broader efforts to address supply chain vulnerabilities and technology flows.