US, China hold “Constructive” Discussions In Latest Round, Amidst Huawei Block

US and Chinese envoys held “constructive” tre talks on Wednesday, White House said, after President Donald Trump rattled financial markets by accusing Beijing of trying to stall in hopes he will fail to win reelection in 2020. 

meeting, aimed at ending a tariff war over tre and techlogy, ended about 40 minutes ahe of schedule. Neir delegation spoke to reporters before U.S. Tre Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left for airport. 

But White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement hours later that “ meetings were constructive,” and that talks are expected to resume in Washington in September, though exact dates were t anunced. 

According to statement, Chinese confirmed ir commitment to President Donald Trump to buy more US agricultural exports, something Trump h publicly been casting doubt on. 

Ecomists h said quick breakthroughs were unlikely because two governments face same disagreements over China’s techlogy policy and tre surplus that caused talks to break down in May. Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed in June to resume negotiations but neir has given any sign of offering big concessions. 

dispute over US complaints that Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over techlogy has battered exporters on both sides and disrupted tre in goods from soybeans to medical equipment. Trump has raised tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports while Beijing responded by taxing $110 billion of U.S. products. 

Chinese leers are resisting U.S. pressure to roll back plans for government-led development of industry leers in robotics, artificial intelligence and or techlogies. Washington complains those efforts depend on stealing or pressuring foreign companies to hand over techlogy. 

For ir part, American negotiators are reluctant to cede to Chinese demands that punitive US tariffs be lifted immediately. Trump wants to keep some penalties in place to ensure Beijing carries out any agreement. 

Rhetoric on both sides has hardened, prompting suggestions US and Chinese leers are settling in for a “war of attrition.” 

In Washington, Trump accused Beijing of wanting to stall through 2020 presidential election in hopes of being able to negotiate with a more malleable Democrat. He said that if re-elected, he would get “much tougher” with Beijing. 

“China would love to wait and just hope,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. 

“y’ll pray that Trump loses,” he said. “And n y’ll make a deal with a stiff, somebody that doesn’t kw what y’re doing.” 

Separately on Twitter, Trump warned that if he wins in 2020, “ deal that y get will be much tougher than what we are negotiating w ... or deal at all.” 

Asian stock markets tumbled Wednesday after Trump’s comments. Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.7%, Hong Kong’s market benchmark dropped 1.3% and Tokyo lost 0.9%. 

Trump’s “aggressively tinged” remarks were a “stark reminder to investors that U.S. and China are closer to an agreement and, in fact, might be drifting farr apart,” Stephen Innes of VM Markets said in a report. 

Negotiators in Shanghai were also expected to discuss fate of telecom equipment giant Huawei Techlogies Washington put company, China’s first global tech brand, on a security list in May that blocks purchases of US components and techlogy. 

United States says Huawei is a national security threat, an accusation company denies. Trump has said it could be a bargaining chip in tre dispute. 

Also Re: Huawei’s Consumer Division Shows 24% Year-On-Year Growth In H1 2019 Results