WASHINGTON, May 19 -- China and the United States issued a joint statement on Saturday on economic and trade consultations, vowing not to launch a trade war against each other.

Based on the directions of Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, the Chinese and U.S. delegations conducted constructive consultations on trade on Thursday and Friday, the statement said.

The Chinese delegation was led by Xi's special envoy and Vice Premier Liu He, and the U.S. officials included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, according to the statement.

Liu arrived in Washington on Tuesday afternoon for economic and trade consultations with the U.S. side at the invitation of the U.S. government.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, leads a delegation whose members come from major economic sectors of the Chinese government.