This Monday, American and Chinese officials will begin talks in Beijing, aimed at resolving the economically damaging trade dispute. In 2018, both countries imposed billions of dollars of tariffs on one another's goods.
The two-day talks mark the first formal meeting since the pair agreed to refrain from any further tariffs for 90 days. The meeting comes amid rising concern about the impact of trade tensions on the global economy. The US delegation will be led by Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish.
While the temporary truce has provided some relief, there is scepticism over the possibility of a breakthrough at the meeting in Beijing. "There are concerns about how far apart the two sides still are," Julian Evans-Pritchard, economist at Capital Economics said. "The main sticking point is going to be on industrial policy and intellectual property rights."
Officials from China and the US were expected to cover a range of difficult issues. The White House said in December the two sides would negotiate "structural changes with respect to forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft." The US says China's "unfair" trade practices have contributed to a lofty trade deficit and accuses China of intellectual property theft.
Like other countries in the West, it is also concerned about the risks that Chinese companies may pose to national security. Many increasingly see the trade war as a battle for global leadership between the world's two largest economies.
As reported that the stakes are high - failure to achieve a deal could see both countries resume taxing one another's goods.
