Geithner to visit China next week

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will visit China at the end of March, the department announced Friday.

Geithner will meet with Chinese government officials on the March 31 trip to Nanjing, where they will discuss “the global outlook and the economic relationship between the two countries.”

The trip comes as the relationship between the two countries has grown increasingly complicated. Geithner has been critical of Chinese efforts to undervalue its currency, as lawmakers have demanded action to get China to reform its trade practices.

Lawmakers and business groups have argued that China has kept the value of its currency artificially low in order to reduce the cost of its exports to the United States and other countries, which critics argue threatens American jobs.

{mosads}Treasury declined in February to identify China as a currency manipulator, but said the major trading partner did need to do more to raise the value of its currency. Geithner has maintained that China’s currency policies are untenable.