KEY POINTS
  • Any trade deal between the U.S. and China will need enforcement mechanisms, an American business association official said.
  • This week, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will visit Washington on Thursday and Friday to continue trade negotiations with the U.S., the Commerce Ministry in Beijing said.
Chinese Vice Premier and lead trade negotiator Liu He, right, reaches to shake hands with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer before the opening session of trade negotiations at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019.

Pledges from Beijing to buy more American goods and fix some economic structural issues are meaningless victories for the U.S. if Donald Trump's administration doesn't also create ways to enforce a trade agreement with China, according to a top official from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That comes as Chinese negotiators ready for the next round of trade talks, set to begin Tuesday in Washington. So far, reports indicate, the two countries have found common ground on China decreasing its trade surplus with the U.S. through more purchases, but sticking points remain on issues such as intellectual property theft and the subsidies Beijing gives to its domestic firms.