Chief trade negotiators of both the United States and China have reportedly arrived at a preliminary consensus on the trade deal between the major nations. US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are likely to sign the deal this week.
China's top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that both sides have agreed on a preliminary framework for the trade deal, and it would now be sent for approval to both sides.
Top trade negotiators of both countries met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. "Both Beijing and Washington believe a stable China-US relationship is good for both sides," South China Morning Post quoted Li as saying.
The trade truce comes as China was staring at higher tariffs from the US over its purported plan to restrict the export of rare earth minerals. In retaliation, US President Trump threatened a 100 per cent tariff hike on China.
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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, "It's very important that China and the US cooperate as willing partners with each other to ensure that we can have smooth supply chains, secure supply chains, for the quality of life, for our people and security." According to China's top negotiator Li, the discussed topics included export controls, reciprocal tariffs, fentanyl tariffs, the US Section 301 probe into Chinese shipbuilders, and a possible expansion of bilateral trade, the publication reported.
