Exclusive | Donald Trump-Xi Jinping meeting to end US-China trade war may be pushed back to June, sources say
- An April meeting has been described as less likely, but the two sides could be able to reach agreement by the middle of the year
- One stumbling block appears to be the demand from some in the White House for an enforcement mechanism to ensure China lives up to its promises
A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to end the trade war may be put back to June, sources have said, as they will not be able to finalise an agreement by April.
It had initially been hoped that they would be able to reach a deal more quickly, but one source who has been briefed on the arrangement told the South China Morning Post that a meeting in April was less likely, while another said the summit could be held in June.
Officials from both nations are stepping up negotiations on the text of the trade agreement, but a source said there was a divergence within the Trump administration regarding the deal with China.
The main division within the White House is how much importance will be attached to an enforcement mechanism to ensure the Chinese side lives up to its side of the bargain, or whether it will be enough to secure an agreement in principle and declare success.
Xi and Trump were originally expected to meet at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private resort in late March, but US ambassador to China Terry Branstad later said the summit had been delayed because the deal was still under discussion. Then it appeared likely they would meet the following month, but the timetable now appears to have been put back once again.