The US-China Business Council is pleased the governments of the two countries had substantive discussions over the past three days and looks forward to hearing details of the negotiations, the organization's president said.

Craig Allen, head of the Washington-based council, said any agreement between the governments should include positive incentives when China produces milestone deliverables, including a mechanism for removing US tariffs and Chinese retaliatory tariffs as progress is made.

He said removal of these tariffs should be a priority to address the damage that has been done to American companies that depend on trade with China, and to the US economy as a whole.

His comments came after China and the US concluded vice-ministerial level consultations on economic and trade issues from Monday to Wednesday in Beijing.

"USCBC will continue to work with both governments to ensure these outcomes," Allen said.