CRI听力:China, U.S. to Exchange Negative Lists of BIT Talks

China's Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao revealed the news in Washington, saying the exchanges might happen this month or next month.

The exchange would be a first step for the two countries towards reaching a substantial achievement on the investment talks due to be held in September.

The comment was also echoed by the U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, who says that the following talks would be focused on the negative list.

The US official made the comment at the sidelines of the ongoing meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Froman was also on record saying that the two sides could conclude the negotiations on bilateral investment treaty "before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office," which will be in January 2017.

Froman said the quality and length of the negative lists are going to be an equivalent indictor of China's commitment to open up its economy.

Talks on the bilateral investment treaty began in 2008 as both countries sought to increase mutual investment.

China has been asking the United States to narrow national security reviews on Chinese investment, while the U.S. side would like to see China keep its "negative list," which details sectors barred to U.S. investment, as short as possible.

Currently, the U.S. has bilateral investment treaties with 41 countries including Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine. But an agreement with China would by far be the largest ever.

For CRI, I am Qian Shanming.