MNI POLICY: China Says Companies Resume Buying US Ag Products

     BEIJING (MNI) - Chinese companies have been permitted to restart purchases

of U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans and pork, as the two sides

deepen the preparation for the next round of trade talk, China's Ministry of

Commerce said on Thursday.   

     "We welcome the goodwill gesture extended by the U.S. side," commerce

ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a weekly briefing, when asked to comment on

the recent tweet by President Donald Trump, in which he announced a two-week

delay in hiking tariffs on Chinese goods to Oct. 15. 

     "Chinese companies have already started enquiring about prices of U.S.

agricultural product," Gao said. 

     The two countries' negotiation teams are making "effective communication,"

Gao said. Their working groups will meet "in the near term for serious

discussions," Gao said declining to provide details.  

     "We hope the two sides continue to move in the same direction and take

concrete action to create good conditions for talks," Gao said.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 10 8532 5998; email: william.bi@mni-news.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$Q$$$,MI$$$$]