The people, who asked not to be identified, said that US President Donald Trump’s comments on Dec 3 downplaying the urgency of a deal should not be understood to mean the talks were stalling, as he was speaking off the cuff. Recent US legislation seeking to sanction Chinese officials over human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang are unlikely to impact the talks, one person familiar with Beijing’s thinking said.
US, China closer to trade deal despite harsh rhetoric
The US and China are moving closer to agreeing on the amount of tariffs that would be rolled back in a phase one trade deal despite tensions over Hong Kong and Xinjiang, people familiar with the talks said.
