President Xi Jinping of China is sending Liu He, his top economic policymaker and a recent addition to the Politburo, to Washington on Tuesday.
BEIJING — President Xi Jinping of China is sending his top economic policymaker to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday in a bid to reduce trans-Pacific trade tensions before China’s congress convenes for its annual session.
The trip by Liu He, who joined the Politburo in October and is widely expected to be named China’s vice premier for financial and industrial policy at the congress, comes as Trump administration officials have increased their criticism of Beijing’s trade policies in recent weeks. Liu’s trip was described by a person involved in the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Commerce Department declared a week ago that U.S. imports of steel and aluminum from China and other countries were a threat to national security, suggesting several ways for President Donald Trump to tax or otherwise restrict such goods.
Trump has considered imposing a “reciprocal tax” on countries, like China, that impose higher tariffs on their imports of U.S. products than the United States levies on theirs.
Liu is expected to lead a sizable delegation to Washington. He would be the second Politburo member to visit the city this month. Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, arrived this month but made little headway at a time when the mood in Washington has shifted toward strong concern about China’s rapid military buildup and record trade surpluses with the United States.
The Chinese government has taken the position that it is not afraid of a trade confrontation with the United States, and that the Chinese market can absorb extra goods if the United States turns them away.
But Xi and his advisers have also tried to preserve the status quo on economic relations with the United States while they focus on domestic issues, like breaking China’s addiction to debt-fueled economic growth.
The choice of Liu to lead the delegation is somewhat surprising and underscores his growing influence in the Chinese government. Wang Qishan, the powerful leader of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign until his retirement from the Politburo in October, is expected by many experts to be named the country’s vice president during the annual session of China’s congress, which is to begin March 5.