ANKARA 

Top trade officials of China and the US on Thursday held a telephone discussion, with the two sides calling it a “candid exchange.”

Liu He, vice premier and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue, spoke to his US counterpart Trade Representative Katherine Tai early this morning, Chinese state-run Xinhua reported.

“The two sides held candid, practical and constructive exchanges in the spirit of equality and mutual respect,” a Chinese Commerce Ministry statement said.

The two sides agreed that “developing bilateral trade is very important” besides exchanging views on “each other's concerns, and consented to continue to maintain communication,” said the statement.

This is second time under the Biden administration that the two sides have held high-level exchanges since top diplomats met in Alaska this March.

China and the US, the world’s top two economies, have seen bilateral relations suffer, especially under the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Trade between the US and China stands at around $560 billion.

Separately, a statement by Tai’s office in Washington said the duo discussed the importance of the trade relationship between the US and China.

“During their candid exchange, Ambassador Tai discussed the guiding principles of the Biden-Harris Administration’s worker-centered trade policy and her ongoing review of the US-China trade relationship, while also raising issues of concern,” the statement added.