China Appoints New Trade Negotiator as Tensions With US Intensify

China maintains a hardline stance on April 16, demanding that Washington cancel tariffs against China before negotiations.

Li Chenggang, China's Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), gestures during an interview with Reuters aside of a ministerial meeting to discuss a draft agreement on curbing subsidies for the fisheries industry in Geneva, Switzerland on July 15, 2021. Denis Balibouse/Reuters

As trade tensions with the United States simmer, the Chinese regime has brought a seasoned trade negotiator back to Beijing.

Li Chenggang, China’s envoy at the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2021, has been appointed as the country’s international trade representative and vice commerce minister, the human resources and social security ministry said in an online statement on April 16.