Dialogue Between US and Chinese Leaders on Resolving Trade Disputes

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Xi Jinping, the President of China, expressed optimism on Thursday regarding the resolution of trade disputes between the two countries. This comes as the US Department of Justice has accused two companies based in China and Taiwan of stealing trade secrets. Following a 'very good' phone conversation with Xi Jinping, Trump tweeted that trade negotiations with China are progressing well and that he plans to meet with Xi during the G20 summit. Xi Jinping also expressed hope in an interview with Chinese state television that China and the US can promote stable and healthy relations. The Chinese President stated he is willing to meet Trump at the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of November. Xi emphasized that the negotiating teams of both countries should increase their contacts and discussions regarding the disputes and reach an agreement. The leaders of the US and China did not provide further details on their negotiations or the potential for progress in bilateral talks to resolve the disputes. Previously, US officials had stated that negotiations would not resume until Beijing takes concrete actions to make broad changes in technology transfer policies, industrial subsidies, and market access. The US and China have so far imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other's imported goods, and Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $500 billion worth of imports from China. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the US Department of Justice issued an indictment against two companies based in China and Taiwan, accusing them of stealing trade secrets from Micron, a semiconductor manufacturer. According to Reuters, the US Justice Department earlier this week issued an indictment against 10 individuals, including two Chinese intelligence officers, for stealing technology data and information related to a turbofan engine.