May 2nd, 2025
China chose a new main person for trade talks on Wednesday. This was because of problems with taxes on goods with the U.S.
The government said Li Chenggang will replace Wang Shouwen. Wang Shouwen was in the trade talks between China and the U.S. in 2020.
The two biggest economies in the world have been putting more taxes on products they sell to each other. This started after the U.S. put more taxes on products from many countries. China now has to pay 145% tax on things it sends to the U.S. Other countries were given 90 extra days before they had to pay most of the taxes.
On Wednesday, China reported that its economy grew by 5.4% in the first three months of the year, helped by strong exports. However, experts predict that the economy will slow down considerably in the near future, as new tariffs on Chinese goods imported by the United States begin to have an impact.
Sending goods to other countries helped China grow by 5% last year, and they want to grow by about 5% this year too.
China has put high taxes on some things from America. But China also says it wants to let other countries trade and invest there.
A spokesperson said the new taxes will make China's economy a little difficult for a short time, but they will not stop it from growing later.
People didn't know why China changed the people who talked about trade. This happened when China said they had other ways to deal with the US. They could use their big market of 1.4 billion people or work with Europe and countries in the south. But because people in China are not buying much, it will be hard to find new buyers like the American ones.
China also put more limits on selling rare earths to other countries. Rare earths are materials used to make things like advanced technology, airplanes, and military equipment.
Before his new job, Li was China's ambassador to the World Trade Organization for about 4 and a half years. This group manages trade between countries. China asked them for help with their disagreement with the U.S. about taxes on goods.
He also worked for China at the United Nations in Geneva and other international groups in Switzerland.
He also worked as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Trade. He was also the head of the department for agreements and rules in the ministry.
Li studied law at Peking University in China and economics at the University of Hamburg.
May 2nd, 2025
Asian Shares Not Clear After China-US Talk
Wall Street Goes Up After Fed Talks About Risks
Trump's Talk on Trade: Tariffs Get More Confusing
South Korea Stays Positive About Big Nuclear Deal
Jewels Linked to Buddha: Sotheby's Postpones Sale After India Protests
Missouri May Not Tax Stock Sale Money
US Central Bank Keeps Interest Rates the Same Over Worries About Prices and Jobs
Disney Parks Do Well: 1.4 Million New Streamers
Trump Claims Government Found Old Fraud
China's economy grows by 5.4%, Beijing says trade is open
Create an account to view answers and interact with the community!