The two largest economies in the world have been putting more taxes on each other's goods since the U.S. put up taxes on products from many countries. China's goods sent to the U.S. now have a 145% tax, but most countries were given 90 days before most taxes began.

Earlier on Wednesday, China said its economy grew by 5.4% from January to March, helped by strong exports, but experts believe this growth will slow down soon because of new taxes on Chinese goods from the U.S.

China's economic growth in 2024, which is expected to be about 5%, was greatly helped by strong exports. The government's goal for growth this year is still around 5%.

Beijing has responded to the U.S. by placing 125% taxes on American products, while also saying it is determined to keep its markets open for trade and investment.

Sheng Laiyun, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, said that in the short term, the tariffs will cause problems for China's economy, but they will not stop its growth over time.

It wasn't clear why China changed who was negotiating. This change happened when Chinese officials said they had different ways to deal with the US. These included using their own big market of 1.4 billion people more, and working with Europe and countries in the global south. But because people in China are not buying much, it will be difficult to find a replacement for American buyers.

China also put more limits on sending rare earths out of the country. These materials are used in technology, airplanes, and military equipment.

Before getting his new job, Li worked for about 4 and a half years as China's representative to the World Trade Organization. This organization controls international trade, and China has asked it for help in its disagreement with the U.S. about import taxes.

He was also the second most important representative for the Chinese group at the United Nations in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.

He has also worked as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Trade and was the head of the department for agreements and laws in that ministry.

Li studied law at Peking University in China and later got a master's degree in economics of law from the University of Hamburg.