U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, second right, speaks during a meeting with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, second left, at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. BEIJING—Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and her Chinese counterpart expressed support for improving trade conditions as Raimondo on Monday began a visit to Beijing aimed at improving chilly relations.
Raimondo said the two sides are working on establishing “new information exchanges” for “more consistent engagement.” Raimondo told reporters before leaving Washington she was looking for “actionable, concrete steps” to move forward in commercial relations but gave no details. She said she was realistic that the “challenges are significant.”
The decision “may have helped grease the wheels for Raimondo’s trip,” said Anna Ashton and Kylie Milliken of Eurasia Group in a report.