US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo will visit China next week, Beijing and Washington said Tuesday, adding to a slew of US officials dispatched in recent months to ease tensions between the world’s largest economies.
Washington says it is seeking to better manage its frosty relations with China, with the two powers at loggerheads over everything from trade to human rights and Taiwan.
“Secretary Raimondo looks forward to constructive discussions on issues relating to the US-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by US businesses, and areas for potential cooperation,” the US Department of Commerce said in a statement.
She will travel to both Beijing and Shanghai during the August 27 to 30 trip, Washington said.
Beijing also confirmed the visit, adding that Raimondo has been invited by her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao.
Her visit will build on an agreement between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in Bali last year “to deepen communication between the US and the PRC on a range of issues,” Washington said.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have plummeted to some of their worst levels in decades, with Washington’s trade curbs among the top of the laundry list of disagreements.
Washington says its restrictions are crucial to safeguarding national security, while Beijing sees them as hampering its economic rise.
