China maintains a hardline stance on April 16, demanding that Washington cancel tariffs against China before negotiations.
As trade tensions with the United States simmer, the Chinese regime has brought a seasoned trade negotiator back to Beijing.
Li Chenggang, China’s envoy at the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2021, has been appointed as the country’s international trade representative and vice commerce minister, the human resources and social security ministry said in an online statement on April 16.
Li succeeds Wang Shouwen, who was the main representative in the commerce ministry’s trade talks with U.S. officials during President Donald Trump’s first term. It remains unclear whether Wang will take on a new role.
Sign of Li’s promotion first emerged earlier this month when he was referred to as “leader” of the commerce ministry during a symposium with domestic entrepreneurs on March 31, according to a readout from the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top central planning agency, which organized the meeting in Beijing.
Beijing didn’t disclose the reasons for the reshuffle within the commerce ministry’s leadership.
The changes come amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington.
While dozens of countries have reached out to Washington seeking to negotiate bilateral agreements in response to Trump’s plans for reciprocal tariffs, Beijing has chosen to raise its own tariffs on U.S. goods and has vowed not to back down.
Trump has signaled openness to striking a deal with Beijing, and on April 15, the White House said that “the ball is in China’s court” for trade talks.
China maintained a hardline stance on April 16 in response to Washington’s comments. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing that Washington should stop “exerting extreme pressure.”
The April 16 announcement came as Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Malaysia, following meetings with Vietnamese leaders during a two-day stop in Hanoi. His final destination is Cambodia.
Analysts have said that Xi’s tour fits his usual travel pattern, but the timing indicates Beijing’s desire to strengthen ties with its neighbors in response to the U.S. tariffs.
Coincidentally, a senior U.S. official was set to embark on a tour to Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, and Hawaii starting April 16, the State Department announced on April 15.
Senior Bureau Official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sean O’Neill will travel to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Tokyo, Japan; and Honolulu, Hawaii, from April 16 to 25. https://t.co/m4dAVliMm8
— U.S. Asia Pacific Media Hub (@eAsiaMediaHub) April 16, 2025
By Dorothy Li
