China on Wednesday unexpectedly appointed a new trade negotiator key in any talks to resolve the escalating tariff war with the United States, replacing trade tsar Wang Shouwen with its envoy to the World Trade Organization.

China on Wednesday named Li Chenggang as vice minister of commerce and the new international trade negotiation envoy amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.

China is now looking at U.S. tariffs that could go as high as 245%, a jump linked to what the White House called retaliatory actions from Beijing. The new figure showed up in an April 15 fact sheet tied to an ongoing review into the national security risks of relying on foreign critical minerals.