U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin looks forward to several important days of trade talks, he said on Tuesday after arriving in the Chinese capital for high-level talks to hammer out a deal ahead of a March 1 deadline.

“Thank you everybody, it’s great to be here back in Beijing,” Mnuchin told reporters at his hotel. “We’re looking forward to several important days of talks.”

Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who arrived earlier on Tuesday, are set to hold talks on Thursday and Friday with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, the top economic adviser to President Xi Jinping.