US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Feb. 15, 2019

President Donald Trump is sending U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to Beijing, China, on Thursday to continue U.S. trade talks with China, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Saturday.

On Feb. 22 Chinese President Xi Jinping had delivered an optimistic message to Trump, calling on the U.S. and China to redouble their efforts to meet halfway on a trade deal that had been the subject of high-level bilateral meetings in Washington that week.

Lighthizer, who had attended the Oval Office meetings, said negotiations had made some progress but noted that "a few very big hurdles" remained.

The U.S. negotiators will be accompanied by Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish and other senior officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of the Treasury.

According to Sanders, the United States looks forward to welcoming a delegation from China, led by Vice Premier Liu He, for meetings in Washington starting on April 3.