China's vice premier talks with U.S. trade officials - Commerce Ministry

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Liu He conducted a phone call with U.S. trade officials, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Tuesday.

Liu spoke with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday evening, the statement said.

China has lodged solemn representation on a U.S. proposal to raise tariffs on Chinese goods from September 1, the statement said. Officials from China and the United States agreed to talk again on the phone within two weeks, the statement said.

(Reporting by Meg Shen; Editing by Peter Graff)