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China's Zhu expects China and U.S. to exchange negative list offers soon

Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao pauses at the China Development Forum, in Beijing March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Jason Lee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao said on Friday he expects China and the United States to exchange 'negative list' offers in the next month or so.

Negative lists, which refer to sectors closed to foreign investment, have been a sticking point in trade relations between China and the United States. Last month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said it was "critical" that China's negative list be short.

Asked during a forum when progress might be made on the negative list issue, Zhu said "I think you can form the expectation that this month or next month certainly both sides will change."

Zhu said he would expect "substantial" progress on the issue in September, when China's President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, though he added that much hard work remained on the trade front between the two countries.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Krista Hughes, Writing by Andrea Ricci)