Trade talks between the world's two largest economies are about to start again soon... but ahead of the talks, the U.S. has blacklisted nearly 30 Chinese companies because of China's treatment of its Muslim minorities, including the Uighurs.
Kim Hyesung reports.
Deputy trade negotiators from the United States and China have launched a new round of talks aimed at resolving the two countries' 15-month trade dispute in Washington on Monday local time.
The White House also officially confirmed that high-level talks involving Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would resume Thursday.
The White House says topics will include China's forced technology transfer, intellectual property rights, agriculture and enforcement.
"They are coming to see us on Thursday and Friday. We think there's a chance we could do something very substantial."
But on the same day, the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted 28 Chinese government agencies and companies over Beijing's human rights violations against Uighur Muslims and other Muslim ethnic minorities.
These include the Xinjiang region's public security bureau and Chinese video surveillance company Zhejiang Dahua Technology.
The so-called "Entity List" bans companies or entities from buying parts and components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval.
Currently, Huawei Technology is also on the Entity List.
"Now that the U.S. has already imposed a huge amount of tariffs on Chinese goods and is getting opposition from its own industries. Trump is imposing sanctions on Chinese firms as a tactic to pressure Beijing and get compromises. But a big deal would be unlikely unless China agrees on issues like how to tighten enforcement of its IP and forced technology transfer laws."
Over the past year, the world's two largest economies have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of each other's goods.
President Trump had said U.S. tariffs on 250 billion dollars of Chinese goods will go up from 25 percent to 30 percent on October 15th if there's no progress made in the high-level talks.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.