Todd Bishop
Reuters quoted a senior US official on November 6th, and the meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was extended to December, meaning that the first phase of the trade agreement between the two countries may not be signed in November. The parties are still discussing the terms of the agreement and the venue.
Officials who did not want to be named said that there is still a chance that the first-phase agreement will not be reached, but the agreement may be greater. According to reports, more than a dozen meeting locations have been proposed, including Europe and Asia, with more opportunities to meet in Europe, such as Sweden and Switzerland. Iowa proposed by Trump seems to have been excluded.
The two countries will discuss the content of the proposed tariff revoked by the Chinese side, but it is not expected to hinder the progress towards the interim agreement. The official said that Trump faced pressure from the impeachment investigation and elections in Congress and believed that China sought to reach an agreement quickly and had the best chance to get favorable terms.
Reuters later quoted senior US officials as saying that Washington will consider it to be held after the London NATO summit in December, but there is still no final decision.
Reuters quoted Chinese officials earlier as saying that Beijing proposed to meet in Greece. Xi Jinping will arrive in Greece on the 10th and then transfer to Brazil to attend the summit that began on the 13th. However, many people familiar with the matter said that it is unlikely that an agreement will be signed in Greece.
