Trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies have escalated in the last two weeks.
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The U.S. and China have agreed to maintain communication following a call between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, according to a brief readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday.
Both sides exchanged thoughts on crucial issues during the call on Thursday, the statement said, without elaborating.
The U.S. Department of State issued a similar statement Thursday, briefly noting the consensus on the importance of the bilateral relationship and an agreement to keep open lines of communication.
The statement came as Beijing and Washington continued to trade swipes at each other, despite the tariff de-escalation following a meeting between both sides in Switzerland earlier this month.
Chinese authorities pushed back against a U.S. decision that warned companies not to use Chinese-made artificial intelligence chips, particularly those provided by Huawei Technologies.
China’s Ministry of Commerce earlier this week called the move “unilateral bullying” and blamed the U.S. for undermining trade talks.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the call was with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
