Exclusive | Trump to host dinner with Xi at G20 summit, but will there be a deal?
- Dinner offers more time for two leaders to catch up, and Trump has rescheduled his G20 trip to make it happen
- Analysts said a trade war truce is possible but strategic divides to linger
China has tentatively accepted US President Donald Trump’s offer to host a dinner for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next month after the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, raising prospects for a truce in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.
The “meeting plus dinner”, upgraded at Trump’s request from the originally scheduled chat on the sidelines of the G20 summit, could offer more time and a better atmosphere for talks, people familiar with the arrangements told the South China Morning Post.
A source said Trump would postpone his departure from Argentina to make the dinner happen, suggesting he was keen to reach a deal with Xi.
The development comes after the two leaders spoke by telephone on Thursday.
Asian markets rose on Friday as hopes ran high that the trade war that has cast a shadow over economic growth and market sentiment in the recent month, could ease.
Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 4.2 per cent on Friday, ending the best performing week in 42 months. The Shanghai composite stock index was up 2.7 per cent, while the onshore yuan strengthened beyond the 6.9 level on Friday and recorded the biggest two-day gain since January.