China and US make ‘concrete progress’ on trade deal text

Xinhua reports phone conversation between Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and US’ Robert Lighthizer and Steven Mnuchin

Donald Trump expects outcome in three to four weeks

China and the United States have made “concrete progress” on the text of their trade agreement, state media reported on Friday. Xinhua reported that Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He held a telephone conversation with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday. “The two sides have further made concrete progress on the text of the trade agreement between the two sides,” the report said, without giving further details. The Chinese statement came after US President Donald Trump said Washington would know where things stood regarding a possible trade deal with China in the next three or four weeks.

“We’ll have news on China. Probably one way or the other, we’re going to know over the next three to four weeks,” Trump said during a St Patrick’s Day reception in the White House’s East Room. He said China had been “very responsible and very reasonable”. “If that one gets done, it will be something that people will be talking about for a long time,” Trump said.

The world’s two largest economies have been embroiled in a trade war since July 6. The two countries agreed to suspend further tariff increases following several rounds of talks, but details of a potential agreement to end the dispute are yet to be finalised, with an enforcement mechanism and reform of China’s state-owned enterprises among the key difficulties.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001777/china-and-us-make-concrete-progress-trade-deal-text

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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001686/us-china-trade-war-donald-trump-says-he-no-rush-complete