'Progress' on trade talks could set stage for deal

Top Chinese and US trade negotiators have concluded their latest round of "candid, concrete and constructive" talks that would pave the way to a comprehensive deal the presidents of the two countries directed and probably would finalize when they meet, according to official sources.

Conducted under the guidance of the important consensuses Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump reached in their Argentina meeting on Dec 1, the two-day talks have made "important progress" for the current stage, according to a release from the Chinese delegation.

The high-level discussions, led by Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, were followed by a meeting between Trump and Liu in his Oval Office at the White House late Thursday afternoon.

Liu presented a message to Trump from Xi, in which the Chinese president said China-US relations are at a critically important stage, and that in their meeting in Argentina, they agreed to work together to build a bilateral relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability.

"Guided by the agreement we reached, our economic teams have engaged in intensive consultations and made good progress," Xi said. "I hope our two sides will continue to act in a spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation and step up consultations by meeting each other halfway in order to reach an early agreement that works for the interests of both sides."