China’s ex-trade negotiator takes lesser role as Trump tariff war heats up

Wang Shouwen, China’s former vice-minister of commerce and one of its chief trade negotiators during the first Trump administration, has taken on a lesser role at a semi-official commerce body.

His new title at the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), the country’s largest non-governmental chamber of commerce, remains undisclosed, but the ACFIC website confirmed Wang had taken part in a study session as a member of its leadership team on Wednesday.

Beijing announced last month that Li Chenggang, China’s envoy to the World Trade Organization, would replace Wang, who played a key role in negotiating the 2020 US-China trade deal and rose to the No 2 position in the Ministry of Commerce in 2022.

Wang’s name was removed from the ministry’s leadership roster shortly after a statement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security unveiled the personnel changes on April 16, without clarifying the reasons or what Wang’s new assignment would be.

It remains unclear why Wang, 59, has been transferred from the high-stakes full-ministerial position as the country’s chief trade negotiator to a lesser role at the ACFIC, which operates under the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department.

Wang is still six years away from the retirement age for a ministerial-level official. His transfer to the less prestigious ACFIC role may indicate he is starting to wind down his career.

His removal, and the appointment of 58-year-old Li as the country’s new commerce vice-minister and international trade representative, made international headlines amid US President Donald Trump’s renewed trade war with China.

South China Morning Post