China, US agree to keep close contact after trade talks

The latest round of vice-ministerial level trade talks between China and the United States has concluded in Beijing, the Ministry of Commerce released a statement on Thursday.

The statement said both countries had "extensive, in-depth and detailed communication" on trade and structural issues, adding that they agreed to maintain close contact after this meeting.

China and the US held vice-ministerial level consultations on economic and trade issues from Monday to Wednesday in Beijing.

The talk has enhanced mutual understanding and laid a foundation for addressing each other's concerns, said the ministry.

The US delegation was led by US Deputy Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish.

On Dec 1, the top leaders of China and the US met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. They agreed to continue negotiations, stop imposing new tariffs and exchange visits at an appropriate time.

China has already shown its firm determination for success and increased efforts to accelerate its pace of reform and opening-up, especially to further safeguard intellectual property rights, expand market access and increase imports from the US, and make the business environment even more transparent and fair, said Wei Jianguo, vice-president of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

"These moves are not only to respond to concerns from the US but also to realize the potential of high-level opening-up to the rest of the world," he said. "China has always been adopting an open stance toward solving trade disputes with the US. It showed its sincerity through concrete measures."

Trade volume between China and the US amounted to $582.82 billion between January and November last year, up 10.9 percent year-on-year, the latest data from the General Administration of Customs showed.