[Voiceover] China is keeping dialogue open with America’s heartland as the US soybean harvest gets underway. The Commerce Ministry says the soybean trade hinges on Washington’s actions, calling for the removal of unreasonable tariffs to pave the way for more businesses and global stability. Earlier this week, China’s Vice Commerce Minister and trade representative Li Chenggang met with a delegation of political and business leaders from the US Midwest to discuss ways to strengthen China-US trade ties at both the local and state levels. The meeting comes as Purdue University reports that China, traditionally the largest buyer of US soybeans, has made no new purchase orders this harvest season. Shipments from the US to China between January and August totaled just 218 million bushels, a sharp fall from last year’s nearly one billion. For the soybean trade to flow again, Beijing wants Washington to take the first step. [Soundbite] He Yadong, Spokesperson, China’s Ministry of Commerce "President Xi Jinping has stressed that the vitality of China-US relations lies at the local level. Sub-national economic and trade cooperation is an indispensable part of bilateral trade relations and an important platform to strengthen exchanges. On the soybean trade, the US should take positive action to remove unreasonable tariffs, create conditions for expanding bilateral trade, and inject more stability and certainty into the global economy." [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]