Ross gave no details at the start of his meeting with China's top economic official, Vice Premier Liu He, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. But Chinese envoys promised after the last high-level meeting in Washington in mid-May to buy more American farm goods and energy products.

President Donald Trump is pressing Beijing to narrow its politically volatile surplus in trade in goods with the United States, which reached a record $375.2 billion last year. He's threatening to hike duties on up to $150 billion of Chinese imports.