Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, WPR Newsletter and Engagement Editor Benjamin Wilhelm curates the week’s top news and expert analysis on China.
Chinese and American trade negotiators are meeting in Beijing this week, with another round of talks scheduled for next week in Washington. Negotiators appear to be closing in on a deal to end the trade war that has been the focal point of tensions between the world’s two largest economies since last summer, but key details have yet to be finalized. That has not stopped some observers from envisioning how a prospective U.S.-China agreement will affect the international trading system.
By all accounts, the next two weeks of trade discussions will be crucial for reaching a deal. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday that “there is a strong desire from both sides to see if we can wrap this up or move on.” White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney added Tuesday that it was “probably fair” to expect a resolution in the “next couple weeks.”