Raimondo meets Chinese officials in 'tricky' visit as countries seek a more stable relationship

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo is acceptable to meet with elder Chinese officials and U.S. concern leaders successful Beijing arsenic the 2 countries proceed high-level talks.

Her travel is simply a important but besides a pugnacious 1 to tread with U.S.-China economical ties hanging successful the balance, according to a erstwhile elder U.S. diplomat.

"Gina Raimondo's travel is going to beryllium a tricky one, due to the fact that she is going to person to speech to the Chinese astir their concerns astir the U.S. trying to incorporate the Chinese system and throttle their development," Susan Thornton told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia."

Thornton antecedently served arsenic acting adjunct caput for East Asian and Pacific Affairs astatine the State Department. She said Raimondo would privation to "get immoderate concern done for U.S. businesses," connected apical of promoting and stabilizing commercialized relations with China.

"So it's a pugnacious visit. But I deliberation it's 1 that the Chinese are welcoming and privation to spot immoderate affirmative statements travel retired of," said Thornton, who is present a elder chap astatine the Paul Tsai China Center astatine Yale Law School.

Raimondo arrived successful Beijing connected Sunday night, opening a sojourn which came astatine the invitation of her counterpart, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.

In an opening statement, Wang said China is acceptable to enactment unneurotic to "foster a much favorable argumentation environment" for U.S. and Chinese businesses.

Items connected Raimondo's docket apt see improving tourism, export controls and cross-border information flows, Thornton said.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, China was the largest root of overseas travelers to the U.S. successful 2019 and outbound question this twelvemonth from China to the U.S. has lone recovered to 30% of the levels seen successful 2019.

When asked whether tariffs imposed by erstwhile President Donald Trump could beryllium reversed, Thornton said: "I don't deliberation that that's going to beryllium happening arsenic a effect of this trip." 

The Chinese system is successful "much much difficulty" than what radical this clip past twelvemonth estimated, she said.

"I deliberation the U.S. astatine the aforesaid clip besides sees dangers from the faltering Chinese economy, which volition person planetary repercussions but surely besides for the U.S. economy,"

China precocious reported second-quarter gross home product beneath expectations, arsenic good arsenic grounds precocious younker unemployment earlier suspending the breakdown of the wide figures.

"It's successful our involvement arsenic good to effort to stabilize the trading narration betwixt the 2 biggest economical powers successful the world," said Thornton.

—CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.