US, China to Assess Phase 1 Deal Soon, Biden Trade Chief Says

WASHINGTON—U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Wednesday she expects to engage “in the near term” with Chinese officials to assess their implementation of the “Phase 1” trade deal between the two countries, with the outcome to influence the fate of Washington’s punitive tariffs on Beijing. Tai told a Financial Times online event that she respects the need for continuity in U.S.-China trade policy, including the two-year trade deal implemented last year by the Trump administration. “It’s the agreement that we have, it’s the agreement that we will work from, that we will build from,” Tai said. “I’m very much looking forward to formally meeting my Chinese counterparts and assessing their performance and measuring what they have to say, pressing our interests and backing up a path forward,” she added. Tai said she has not had any formal contact with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who negotiated the Phase 1 …