(Yicai Global) Sept. 3 -- The trade dispute between China and the US keeps on brewing while according to China's commerce ministry the pair is willing to continue negotiations.

Both sides agreed to maintain contact in the next step, commerce ministry's spokesperson Gao Feng said at a regular press conference on Aug. 30.

Media reports have suggested that China and the US seem to have no plans for further negotiations. Some even suggested that the trade talks will not be held before the US midterm elections in November.

A Chinese delegation led by Wang Shouwen, the vice minister of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, visited Washington from Aug. 22 to Aug. 23 to discuss the hot topic of trade with a US team led by Malpass, undersecretary for international affairs at the US Department of the Treasury.

China has put forward constructive proposals taking into account the interests of both sides in the past four rounds of negotiations, an anonymous source familiar with these discussions told Yicai Global. However, the US side still hasn't proposed any plan, specific framework or executable path, the source added.

China hopes the two sides will jointly protect the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation through equal, honest and pragmatic dialogue with mutual respect, Gao said.

Editor: Emmi Laine