U.S., China hold first call since Geneva meeting, signaling progress in trade talks

The U.S. and China agreed to keep lines of communication open, following a call between senior officials Thursday, signaling continued high-level engagement as both sides work toward a broader deal. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau exchanged views on a range of key issues during the call, both sides said in closely aligned statements released Friday, without specifying whether tariffs were among the topics discussed.

While the call may not indicate a breakthrough in the ongoing trade talks, it is a “positive sign” that Beijing now knows who to talk to on the U.S. side, said Dan Wang, China director at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, adding that “the communication channel established in the Geneva talks is working.”

Following the high-level talks in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month, both sides issued a rare joint statement to temporarily lower most tariffs on each other’s goods, while working toward a broader agreement.

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