By Alisha Shah 
Top US officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland, the administration announced Tuesday, in the first major talks between the two nations since President Donald Trump sparked a trade war with tough tariffs on imports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and trade representative Jamieson Greer will meet with their counterparts in Geneva in the most-senior known conversations between the two countries in months. It comes amidst growing US market worry over the impact of the tariffs on the prices and supply of consumer goods.
Trump had previously claimed that the US and China were holding negotiations on lowering tariffs, which Beijing has denied, saying Trump must first lower his stiff tariffs. Bessant testified earlier Tuesday to a House committee that the US and China have not engaged in negotiations but as early as this week, the US will be announcing trade deals with some of the US’ largest trading partners.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the meeting between the vice premier and Besant in Switzerland.
The Chinese side carefully assessed the information from the US side and decided to agree to have contact with the US side after fully considering global expectations, Chinese interests and calls from US businesses and consumers, said a ministry spokesperson.
Besant and Greer also plan to meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, according to readouts from their respective offices.
Both Greer and Bessant had had communications with their counterparts prior to the start of the trade war.
Greer told Fox News Channel last month that he talked with his Chinese counterpart for over an hour before the trade war started. I thought it was constructive, he said, adding, this is not a plan just to encircle China. It’s a plan to fix the American economy, to have a greater share of manufacturing as GDP, to have real wages go up, to be producing things rather than having an economy that’s financed by the government.
And Besant in February spoke with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to exchange views on the bilateral economic relationship, according to a Treasury news release.