"Yellen, Discussing Visit to China"... Will the First US-China Economic Talks Take Place?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Bloomberg News reported on the 11th (local time) that U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is discussing a visit to China to hold the first high-level economic talks with China.

The news agency cited an anonymous source saying, "Discussions regarding Secretary Yellen's visit to China are still in the early stages," and added, "A decision will be made considering risks such as the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant."

The source said that if Yellen's visit to China is realized, it is highly likely that she will hold talks with Vice Premier of the State Council Liu He.

The agency reported that this would be the highest-level U.S. official visit to China since Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited China last month.

Another source familiar with the matter added that Secretary Yellen will include discussions on common interests such as climate change as well as sharp economic issues like trade negotiations.

The growing calls from more than 30 U.S. economic organizations urging the resumption of trade negotiations with China and the removal of tariffs are interpreted as the background for this planned visit.

Earlier, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter urging Secretary Yellen and Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to resume dialogue so that the Chinese government can fulfill its commitments under the Phase One trade agreement and increase purchases of U.S. goods.

Meanwhile, Treasury Department spokesperson Lily Adams dismissed the possibility of a visit, stating, "Secretary Yellen has no plans to visit China this fall."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.