By: NATHAN STUEDLE
American trade officials are continuing to pressure China to fulfill its commitments to purchase U.S. agricultural products. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer raised the issue during a Friday video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. According to Greer's office, the discussions focused on concrete steps China must take to fulfill previous commitments involving agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals. China's official news agency described the discussions as constructive, while noting that Chinese officials also raised concerns about American economic and trade restrictions.
Meanwhile, China has confirmed discussions about a possible meeting involving President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. That meeting could take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China. The diplomatic developments come as the United States and China maintain a fragile trade truce scheduled to expire in January, leaving American farmers watching closely for additional export opportunities.