Just a month after U.S. President Donald Trump hailed “progress” in talks with China, the world’s two most powerful nations are scrambling to salvage a planned summit of their leaders, now just a week away, while trading blame for a spike in tensions.
Even if the talks between Trump and President Xi Jinping can be put back on track, experts say each side’s belief that it has the upper hand, coupled with China’s tougher posture, makes a narrow deal on a few issues the most likely outcome.
“China believes negotiations alone are insufficient and that effective countermeasures against the United States are necessary to prevent the U.S. from exerting pressure,” said Wu Xinbo, an expert on ties between the two biggest economies.
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