BEIJING — Two weeks before talks between the United States and China broke down, Beijing quietly called one of its most formidable trade negotiators out of a pre-retirement posting.

The negotiator, Yu Jianhua, a 28-year veteran of trade talks with American officials and at the World Trade Organization, returned to Beijing in mid-April from his position as China’s ambassador to the United Nations’ offices in Geneva. With his appointment, the Chinese government began to address an experience gap that could be holding it back as it tries to resolve a potentially devastating trade war with the Trump administration.

It is unclear how or whether a previous lack of trade-policy experience on China’s negotiating team contributed to the breakdown in negotiations last month. American officials walked away from the talks after their Chinese counterparts deleted page after page of provisions from a draft pact. The approval for such an assertive move almost certainly would have come directly from President Xi Jinping, the country’s top leader.

Still, people on both sides of the talks say that the Chinese government’s negotiating team has lacked specialized expertise in major trade issues. The appointment of Mr. Yu signals the apparent recognition by China’s leaders of a need for experience they can trust.