Representatives of the Trump administration plan to meet with a high-ranking Chinese official for trade talks this week, but few expect this to lead to a breakthrough in ending the trade standoff between the two countries.

Negotiator Li Chenggang is expected to meet with administration officials at the deputy level during his visit to Washington, a US government official told CNN.

But the meeting is not an official negotiating session, and administration officials are skeptical that it will accomplish much.

According to a person familiar with the matter, US officials did not invite Chengang, and instead he sought the meeting himself.

As noted by the media, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Feng previously criticized Trump's trade policy in a speech at an event dedicated to the soybean industry, saying that it “casts a shadow over Sino-US agricultural cooperation.” 

These statements have heightened tensions over agricultural issues at the heart of the trade dispute, further complicating efforts by both sides to find a final solution.