China, US agree to new round of trade talks

China and the United States agreed to hold the 13th round of Sino-US high-level economic and trade consultations in early October in Washington, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He held a phone conversation, upon the invitation from the US side, with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

The two sides agreed to take concrete action to create favorable conditions for bilateral consultations, according to the statement.

The two sides will keep close contact and working teams from the two countries will start serious talks from the middle of September to prepare for high-level consultations in October.

Zhong Shan, minister of commerce, Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China, and Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, also were present for the conversation.