China Presses U.S. To Cancel Tariffs Slapped On Its Goods

China said over the weekend it pressed the United States to eliminate tariffs in talks between the countries' top trade officials that Washington saw as a test of bilateral engagement between the world's biggest economies.

Photo Insert: The trade war between the world's biggest economies rages on.

The virtual talks between US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai and China's Vice Premier Liu He followed Tai's announcement on Monday that she would seek "frank" talks and hold China to its commitments under a 'Phase 1' trade deal negotiated by former President Donald Trump, David Lawder, Michael Martina, Andrea Shalal and Engen Tham reported for Reuters.

"The Chinese side negotiated over the cancellation of tariffs and sanctions, and clarified its position on China's economic development model and industrial policies," China's Xinhua state news agency said after the talks, held on Friday Washington time.

In a briefing ahead of the call, a senior USTR official said Tai would give Liu an assessment of China's performance in implementing the Phase 1 deal, including promised purchases of US goods that are falling short of targets.

Asked about the shortfalls, China's ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, told China's Phoenix TV in an interview on Friday that Beijing had always kept its promises in state-to-state relations, the embassy said in a summary released Saturday.

Tai would raise concerns about China's "non-market" economic practices, the US official said.

"We recognize that Beijing is increasingly explicit that it is doubling down on its authoritarian state-centric approach and is resistant to addressing our structural concerns," the official said, adding that consequently, Washington would focus on improving US competitiveness, diversifying markets, and "limiting the impact of Beijing's harmful practices."

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic