Top Chinese official tells the US commerce secretary he’s ready to improve cooperation

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — The top Chinese official in charge of economic relations with Washington has told Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo he’s ready to “make new positive efforts” to improve cooperation following an agreement to reduce trade tension. The agreement on Monday is the most substantial result to date out of a string of visits by American officials to Beijing over the last three months to revive relations that are at their lowest level in decades. Vice Premier He Lifeng said he was ready to “make new positive efforts to deepen our consensus and extend our cooperation.” The two governments would launch an “information exchange” about U.S. controls on technology exports that irritate Beijing, though Raimondo defended the curbs as necessary.