WASHINGTON -- Senior officials from China and the United States on June 21 urged the world's two largest economies to conclude their investment treaty talks to promote two-way investment and strengthen bilateral economic ties.
"Last week, a new round of negotiations (on the bilateral investment treaty) was held in Washington D.C., and the two sides exchanged their negative list offers for the third time, which is another major step forward," Wu Xi, Minister of Chinese Embassy in the United States, said at the 2016 SelectUSA Reception, co-hosted by the embassy and the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA (CGCC), which represents Chinese enterprises in the United States.
A negative list outlines sectors closed to foreign investment. The last time the two sides exchanged such lists was in early September last year.
A total of 25 rounds of investment treaty talks have been held since negotiations started in 2008. China and U.S. officials have signaled a willingness to finalize a deal before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves the White House in January 2017.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said June 20 that the United States is in the process of assessing the Chinese new negative list offer. He said investment treaty talks will continue into the fall.
A single purchase
