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Xi Jinping targets ‘fundamental China-US issues’ in Japan meeting with Donald Trump
- Meeting at G20 could bring first positive development after setbacks in talks to end the two countries’ trade war
- But former US trade negotiator says expectations of the presidents’ discussions should be ‘kept in check’
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Kinling Loin Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he hopes to address “fundamental China-US issues” in his meeting with counterpart Donald Trump in Japan next week.
Xi expressed his willingness to meet Trump during a phone call between the two leaders on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media reports. Trump also confirmed on Twitter that the two would meet.
“I am willing to meet the president during the G20 summit in Osaka to exchange opinions on the fundamental issues of the development of US-China relations,” Xi was quoted as saying.
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The two will meet at a gathering of the Group of 20 major economies on June 28 and 29, and the discussions between the leaders will be the first positive development in relations since China-US trade talks collapsed in early May, leaving Trump threatening to slap tariffs on all Chinese exports to the United States.
China-US relations have deteriorated rapidly on political, economic and military fronts. The US has labelled China a “strategic competitor” and accused Beijing of conducting spying activities in academic and national security arenas. The rift also widened during the trade war that began a year ago when Trump vowed to end a trade imbalance that he said China was “taking advantage of”.
Wendy Cutler, a former US trade negotiator, said expectations of how much progress the two presidents could make in their meeting should “be kept in check”.
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