In the face of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will meet by video conference on August 15th.

China maintains that it is doing their utmost to comply with the agreement signed in mid-January with a statement to that effect by the Ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai who tersely stated, “The two economic teams have been in contact with each other.”  Issues which have complicated relations between China and the U.S. include the rhetoric over the origin of COVID-19, restrictive legislation imposed on Hong Kong, and the treatment of uighurs in Northwestern China.  The U.S. closed the Consulate of China in Houston during July followed by China retaliating by closing the U.S. Consulate in ChengDu.

Issues that will be discussed on August 15th are presumed to include future purchases of U.S. agricultural commodities, industrial espionage, and threatened banning and delisting of  technology companies including Bytedance, owner of TikTok.