US, Chinese trade envoys attend Asia-Pacific trade ministers meeting in South Korea

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - US and Chinese trade negotiators attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers meeting in South Korea on Thursday, the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency reported.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s top trade envoy Li Chenggang joined senior trade officials from 21 APEC member economies for the two-day discussions focused on global trade challenges and cooperation.

The APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting taking place on Jeju Island will continue through Friday under the theme "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper," as announced by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

Senior trade officials from APEC’s 21 member countries, along with top representatives from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are participating in the two-day event.

According to Seoul's industry ministry, the APEC meeting will focus on three key topics: AI innovation for trade facilitation, boosting connectivity through the multilateral trading system, and promoting prosperity through sustainable trade.

The meeting takes place amid ongoing trade negotiations with Washington between several major APEC member countries, including South Korea, Japan, and China, over the wide-ranging tariff measures implemented by US President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, Beijing and Washington agreed to a temporary rollback of punitive tariffs, following high-level negotiations in Geneva.

As part of the deal, for a 90-day period, the US has reduced tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China lowered its tariffs on US goods from 125% to 10%.