This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to resume trade talks after 'excellent' discussions at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The talks, which took place on the sidelines of the summit, marked the first meeting between the two leaders since the last G20 in December.
According to Trump, the two sides have agreed to hold off on new tariffs and continue negotiations. 'We are right back on track,' Trump said in a press conference. 'At least for the time being, we will not impose new tariffs or remove existing ones.'
The outcome of the talks is seen as a win for both sides, with experts cautioning that a full agreement was unlikely but a truce that avoided a new tit-for-tat round of tariffs would be positive. The talks come at a time when the global economy is facing headwinds, including increased geopolitical tensions and Brexit.
Trump has struck a conciliatory tone since his arrival in Japan for the G20 summit, despite saying China's economy was going 'down the tubes' before he set out for Osaka. The two leaders also discussed climate change, with the G20 leaders agreeing to the 'irreversibility' of the Paris climate deal and pledging its full implementation.
Trump has also sparked controversy by tweeting that he was open to meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Un while in South Korea this weekend. 'If Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!,' he wrote.
