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A Chinese national flag at the National Museum of China following the closing of the Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 11. (Bloomberg)
Donald Trump’s return to power has raised the chances of another trade war between the US and China, making Beijing’s potential negotiators some of the most important people in Xi Jinping’s government.
Here’s a look at the key figures who could be sitting at the table if trade tensions escalate.
He Lifeng, Vice Premier
He, 69, is a Politburo member and Beijing’s point person for US-China economic and trade affairs, taking over from Liu He, who played a central role in the trade war during Trump’s first term.
While Liu was educated at Harvard, He holds a PhD in economics from Xiamen University.
He is a close confidante of Xi, having known him since the 1980s when they worked as officials in the coastal city of Xiamen.
He didn’t directly participate in the negotiations during the trade war but he was working at the nation’s top economic planner at the time. That could give him insight into some of China’s tactics for countering Trump.
Wang Wentao, Commerce Minister
Wang, 60, is China’s commerce minister, a role that traditionally handles trade relations. He has experience across the world’s No. 2 economy, working in the financial hub of Shanghai but also in the rust belt province of Heilongjiang and interior provinces like Yunnan.
He has hit back at accusations that the dominance of China’s electric vehicle sector was due to overcapacity and government aid, instead pointing to innovation, advanced supply chains and intense competition.
Earlier this year he met with top global executives, including Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook, to boost slowing foreign investment amid geopolitical tensions.
Wang Shouwen, Vice Commerce Minister
Wang, 58, participated in the talks during Trump’s first term. The Chinese government’s international trade negotiation representative and fluent English speaker said during the tensions at the time that his country won’t yield to “blackmail.”
He once oversaw North American affairs at the ministry. Wang co-chairs a trade working group with Marisa Lago, the US under secretary of commerce for international trade. And in that role, he expressed concerns with US efforts to cut China off from key semiconductor tech.
Two of Wang’s underlings, Ling Ji and Li Yongjie, could play a role in talks, too. Ling has engaged Europe on the EV tariffs that were recently imposed, while Li rose through the ranks at the ministry’s department of treaty and law.
Pan Gongsheng, PBOC Governor
Pan, 61, is helping steer the world’s second-largest economy through a growth slowdown and safeguarding the roughly $60 trillion financial system.
An English speaker, Pan has pushed for reforms in areas such as the banking sector and the exchange rate, earning him a reputation as a problem solver with a wealth of experience in the country’s state banks and the central bank.
In September, Pan unveiled a broad package of monetary stimulus measures to revive an economy teetering on the brink of deflation. Pan would likely play a crucial role in the debate within China over whether the yuan should be allowed to weaken to boost exports, and by how much.
Liao Min, Vice Finance Minister
Liao, 55, has broad experience working in the financial industry, including at the central bank and the banking regulator.
The fluent English speaker was a key member of China’s previous team of trade-war negotiators. As part of that, Liao traveled to the US as an aide to Liu He and met Trump in the Oval Office.
More recently, Liao greeted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen when she visited China in April. Last month, Liao met Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh in Washington as part of series of talks. On that visit, Liao said China was worried about tariffs imposed by the US and sanctions related to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Other Possibilities
Zhao Chenxin, vice director of the National Development and Reform Commission, could play a negotiating role given his experience dealing with American officials and businessmen.
It’s unclear who from the Foreign Ministry might participate in the negotiations this time around, but one possibility is Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. In recent years he has been busy interacting with delegations from the US, contributing to speculation he could one day be named foreign minister.
Another person might be Li Kexin, the new vice office director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, given his experience working in the US during the first Trump term.
Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Agriculture Ministry would also likely have a role in negotiations.
Zhang Yunming, a vice minister at MIIT, is one name to watch given his experience in working with other nations on tech issues. Another is Wu Hongyao, vice agriculture minister, whose predecessor was involved before he won promotion.
With assistance from Zheng Li.