China, U.S. commerce ministers hold phone talks

China has urged the United States to lift sanctions on Chinese companies as soon as possible, and to improve the business environment for its firms operating in the U.S., said the Ministry of Commerce in an online statement on Tuesday.

During a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on the same day, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao expressed serious concerns over U.S. policies on semiconductors, targeting China, and restrictions on Chinese intelligent connected vehicles.

Wang emphasized the importance of defining clear boundaries between national security and normal economic and trade activities, as it is beneficial to the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains and can foster a favorable policy environment for cooperation between businesses in both countries.

This conversation was part of the institutional communication arrangement between the commerce authorities of both countries, said the statement.