Beijing confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump during the G20 summit in Japan later this month. The statements from China's leader have led some to speculate that Xi could mention the Huawei ban on Trump.
According to Chinese state media, Xi noted that negotiations will push through if both parties "show consideration to each other's legitimate concerns." Furthermore, he appeared to reference Chinese tech giant Huawei in his statement regarding the G20 meet-up.
"We also hope that the United States treats Chinese companies fairly," Xi was quoted to have said. His statements ignited talks about the possibility of adding Huawei to the meeting's agenda as U.S. tech companies rally behind the Chinese tech equipment behemoth.
Although no confirmation has been made from both sides regarding the topics that the leaders will discuss, some analysts are expecting the Huawei blacklisting to be included in the talks as the ban has not been lifted by the White House yet.
Trump tweeted on Monday that he had "a very good telephone conversation" with Xi and the two will hold "an extended meeting" during next week's Osaka summit. He further revealed that delegations from China and the U.S. will commence talks before he meets with Xi.
Many governments have been urging both sides to resolve the tariff spat that started last year. The trade war was escalated in May, following U.S. accusations that Beijing failed to follow through with initial trade agreements.
China has repeatedly denied the allegations and said the U.S. was to blame for the negotiations' fallout. Amid trade war escalations, Washington said it could add more tariffs to other Chinese goods that were not part of the earlier tax duties.
According to The Wall Street Journal, some analysts are worried that additional tariffs could have a bigger impact on consumer goods and purchases made by American shoppers.
Head of China Coverage for Eurasia Group, Michael Hirson, said the planned tariffs "has a much more direct impact on U.S. households than previous rounds. It will be visible to the Walmart shopper."
Despite the confirmation that Xi and Trump will hold talks next week, some analysts pointed out that there are still many issues that Beijing and Washington need to resolve before a trade deal is struck.
Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying he was "willing" to hold talks with Trump to gauge developments in the China-U.S. relations. He specifically mentioned trade and economy as major subjects that will be discussed during the highly anticipated meet-up.
