Bloomberg News Liu He speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.China’s senior economic envoy is in the U.S. to deliver the message that Beijing wants to restart talks on economic reform and to figure out who in the Trump administration he should talk with. Liu He, who is set to be named China’s vice premier this month, and is a close ally of President Xi Jinping, has been meeting with corporate leaders and senior administration officials in Washington this week. On Thursday, he had an afternoon session with National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Liu didn’t get a meeting with Trump on Thursday but may get some time with the president Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. He chatted briefly with national security adviser H.R. McMaster. A White house official, called the discussion “frank and constructive.” The U.S. side “underscored the importance of achieving balance and reciprocity in the economic relationship,” the official said, and “discussed ways to ensure fair and reciprocal trade.” According to individuals who have spoken with Liu, his goal was to try to head off a looming trade war and restart negotiations over the pace of Chinese reform.An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.