The U.S. and China say Beijing has committed to buying more American goods.

Deal not specific about level of increase, tariffs

WASHINGTON — Just-ended U.S.-China trade talks produced a commitment by Beijing to “significantly increase” its purchases of Americans goods and services, according to a joint statement Saturday from the rival economic powers trying to lower trade tensions.

“China has come to trade,” Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, told reporters. “They are meeting many of our demands.”

They also agreed on “meaningful increases” in U.S. exports of agriculture and energy products and greater efforts to increase trade in manufactured goods and services.

The statement, however, provided no dollar amounts on how much China might boost its purchases of American products.

The statement also was silent on whether the talks had made progress in easing the trade standoff between the world’s two biggest economies. Washington and Beijing have threatened to impose billions of dollars in punitive tariffs on each other.

The statement said they did agree on the need for “effective measures” to reduce America’s trade deficit, and to strengthen cooperation on protecting intellectual property. The statement said the United States would send a team to China to work out further details.

One of the Trump administration’s goals has been to get China to take steps that would lower America’s goods trade deficit with China by at least $200 billion by the end of 2020.

“There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China,” the joint statement said.

The two days of talks were led on the Chinese side by Vice Premier Lie He and on the American side by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The U.S. delegation included Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Trump campaigned in 2016 on a pledge to get tough on China and other U.S. trading partners.

Last month, the administration proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports to protest the forced technology transfers. Trump later ordered Lighthizer to seek up to an additional $100 billion in Chinese products to tax.

China responded by targeting $50 billion in U.S. products, including soybeans — a shot at Trump supporters in America’s heartland. The prospect of an escalating trade war has shaken financial markets and alarmed business leaders.

Carolyn Kaster The Associated Press White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow speaks Friday during an interview outside the West Wing of the White House.