This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
Chile's decision to cancel the APEC summit due to violent unrest in Santiago has pushed back the signing of the phase one US-China trade deal.
US President Donald Trump tweeted that China and the US are working on selecting a new site for signing, which will be announced soon.
Trump stated, "The new location will be announced soon. President Xi and President Trump will do signing!"
Despite the delay, Beijing remains optimistic about the phase one deal, which would mark a significant deescalation in the 18-month trade war between the two economic giants.
The Chinese commerce ministry confirmed that negotiating teams on both sides have maintained close communication and negotiations are progressing smoothly.
According to the ministry, leaders from both sides will hold another call on Friday, a week after senior officials last spoke over the phone.
