BEIJING—China is sending its top trade envoy to Washington to resume negotiations and confront U.S. demands that Beijing detail the laws it would change as a part of a trade deal, ahead of a deadline set by President Trump to raise tariffs on Chinese goods.

After two days of uncertainty in which President Trump called for the higher tariffs and Chinese officials considered pulling out of the talks, Beijing announced Tuesday that Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington for negotiations starting Thursday, a day later than...