The 2nd Round Negotiation at Deputy Minister Level of 17th Sino-US Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade was held in Beijing on March 23. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Ma Xiuhong, Franklin L. Lavin, US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and Karan K. Bhatia, Deputy US Trade Representative exchanged views on topics discussed at the Joint Committee. The two sides agreed that relative departments of China and US made new progress on topics concerned about by each other since the holding of the first round negotiation at Deputy Minister Level in Washington.

In the same day, Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai met with Franklin L. Lavin and Bhatia. Mr. Bo Xilai said that China attached importance to the 17th Sino-US Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade to be held in coming days, for which departments of China did too much preparation work. He hoped that the two countries could joint efforts to guarantee the success of the Joint Committee and create friendly atmosphere for the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to the US. Lavin and Bhatia said that the US paid much attention to the Joint Committee and would like to enhance cooperation with China to push forward the settlement of issues mutually concerned about by the two countries and to pay a smooth foundation for the Joint Committee to make success.

On March 24, Chinese Vice Minister Gao Hucheng, Lavin and Bhatia continued the talks on relative topics to be deliberated at the Joint Committee