WASHINGTON — Two top American officials will head to Beijing next week to continue talks on the bruising trade war between the US and China, the White House said on Tuesday.

"United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for continued negotiations on the trade relationship between the United States and China," the White House said in a statement.

The talks - which will be led by Vice Premier Liu He on the Chinese side - will begin on April 30, and a delegation from Beijing will travel to Washington on May 8, the statement said.

"The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," it added.

During shuttle diplomacy in recent months, US and Chinese officials have alternated between projecting optimism and warning that success in their high-stakes talks is not guaranteed.

The two sides have exchanged tariffs on more than US$360 billion in two-way trade since last year, weighing on both countries' manufacturing sectors and unnerving global stock markets. — AFP