China’s key trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, has called on the US to create “a favourable atmosphere” for agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

“We hope the US will work together with China, with a focus on the broader picture, to create a favourable atmosphere for practical cooperation in areas such as agriculture,” Li told a visiting US agricultural trade delegation in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a statement published by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

Li said there had been some “fluctuations” in agricultural trade between the two countries, but their origins lay in the unilateral tariffs imposed by the United States.

The two sides exchanged views on China-US economic and trade relations, agricultural trade and other matters, the statement said.

China, previously the biggest overseas market for US soybeans, accounting for more than half of American exports, paused purchases of US soybeans from this autumn’s harvest amid mounting trade tensions with the US.

After last week’s meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in South Korea, Beijing pledged to import more goods from the US, including the resumption of bulk orders for soybeans.

In a post on his Truth Social online network after that meeting, Trump said he was “extremely honoured by the fact that President Xi authorised China to begin the purchase of massive amounts of soybeans, sorghum, and other farm products”.