FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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Chinese Politburo Member Liu He To Spend Five Days in U.S. for Economic Dialogues

Feb. 27, 2018 (EIRNS)—Politburo member Liu He, who is considered the most influential economic advisor to President Xi Jinping and who recently represented China at the Davos Forum, arrived in Washington, D.C. today for five days of in-depth discussions with the Trump administration on economic and trade issues. The official Foreign Ministry announcement was brief, stating only that Liu was visiting “at the invitation of the U.S. government,” and that “the two sides will exchange views on China-U.S. relations and bilateral cooperation in the field of trade and economy.”

China Daily of Feb. 27 had a bit more to say, in an article headlined “Liu’s U.S. Visit Designed To Ease Tensions.” The article remarks that

“Liu’s U.S. trip comes roughly two weeks after State Councillor Yang Jiechi visited Washington, where his trip showcased successful high-level exchanges between the two nations, experts said.”

They elaborated this point by quoting Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, who said that “Beijing and Washington have found a way to boost trust—chiefly by letting key government officials meet more often.” In other words, Presidents Xi and Trump are maintaining their direct channel of communication to continue to build on their “excellent” personal relationship established in April 2017 in Mar-a-Lago, and then during Trump’s visit to China in November 2017.

No information is yet available as to whom Liu will be meeting in Washington—but a lot can be done in five days.