[ad_1]
President Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017. (Andy Wong / AP)
HONG KONG – The leaders of the United States and China said on Thursday that they had spoken out and were making progress in the prospect of a face-to-face meeting at the Group of 20 summit. in Argentina this month, which could stagnate – if not completely defuse – a further worsening of trade tensions.
President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, both described their phone call in optimistic terms on Thursday, noting in particular that Xi was focusing on the personal relationships of the leaders even as US government branches unveiled measures and a harsher speech against Beijing.
Asset says in a morning tweet that he had a "long and very good conversation" with Xi that dealt with the trade, just hours before the Ministry of Justice unveiled the latest of the charges against Chinese companies and individuals. This unusual series of indictments is a harsh warning in Beijing about the theft of US technological secrets that, beyond the trade imbalance, is one of Washington's biggest grievances about China's commercial behavior.
Discussions to hold meetings at the G-20 were going to "go well", as were discussions on North Korea, Trump said in his tweet.
In a reading in Chinese media, Xi said he was "very happy" to talk to Trump and attached great importance to good relations with the president. "
China will hold an import fair in Shanghai next week, which according to Xi Xi will show Beijing's determination to "increase imports and increase openness". The Chinese president is expected to deliver an important speech at the opening of the convention on Monday.
After months of heated negotiations by middlemen, the US and Chinese authorities hope that the meeting of the two presidents on the sidelines of the Buenos Aires summit will lead to a breakthrough. The United States is ready to apply tariffs on Chinese imports of about $ 260 billion in the coming weeks if the G-20 fails, Bloomberg announced this week.
Larry Kudlow, Trump's chief economic adviser, said at a Washington Post Live event on Thursday morning that he was not sure whether the business would be discussed at the meeting of the two presidents in Argentina.
"My crystal ball is not at all clear," said Kudlow. "The agenda is being discussed and working in both camps. I think it will include trade, but I am not 100% sure. "
Optimistic notes on the trade talks come at a time when US defense and law enforcement officials have taken a stronger stance on China. The Trump administration, which in the last two months has laid charges in three cases of alleged Chinese spies, will step up its inter-agency efforts to send a clear message to Beijing on economic espionage, officials said.
Read more:
With new indictment, US launches aggressive campaign to counter China's economic attacks
Cross-threaded: Why US and China struggle to reach trade deal
Today's coverage of Swiss Post correspondents around the world
Love Washington Post World on Facebook and stay up to date on foreign news
[ad_2]Source link
