China and the US are maintaining high tariffs on goods, which will hamper economic and trade exchange. Negotiations on removing existing and new tariffs will be the first step towards a more harmonious bilateral relationship, as tariffs have impacted Chinese manufacturers and US consumers, impairing the interests of both countries.

The problem of technology trade restrictions imposed by the US on China needs to be solved. The US restrictions on China, in particular technology trade restrictions, are violating WTO rules and will impede the development of US companies. Yao Yang suggested negotiations as the first step, including tapping into new rules which might be different from existing WTO rules. If China and the US can reach some consensus, the agreed new rules are likely to lay the foundation for WTO reform.

The US requires China to purchase its agricultural products, with easing up on technology product restrictions in return. Susan A. Thornton said she hoped to see market-oriented synergy rather than managed trade, where the quantity of products to be purchased is determined by officials. Solutions should be able to mitigate security risks and retain the benefits from the economic and trade relationship.

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