China on Friday expressed hope that US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will reach a solution to the trade war between their two countries when they meet at the G20 summit next week.
The talks in Argentina coincide with the failure of the two economic giants to reach an agreement to resolve the dispute, which escalated after Trump imposed a large fee on Chinese goods, prompting a similar response from Beijing.
"We hope that the two sides can work together on the basis of mutual respect, balance, honesty, mutual interest and finally a solution to the problem," Deputy Minister of Commerce Wang Xuein was quoted by AFP as saying.
Global trade was facing a "complex situation" with "high levels of unilateralism and protectionism", causing a blurring of economic development, he said.
China hopes the G-20 countries will confirm their support for multilateralism at the November 30-December 1 summit in Buenos Aires, and Beijing supports the reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to strengthen its authority and effectiveness.
The American response
Earlier, Washington threatened to tighten measures if the issue of the conflict between the two countries was not resolved before January. The US president confirmed on Thursday that he was "very willing" to meet with the Chinese president.
If we can make a deal, we will do it, "Trump said.
The Trump administration imposed tariffs on Chinese imports worth more than $ 250 billion, prompting Beijing to respond by charging more than $ 100 billion worth of goods imported from the United States.
Earlier this month, the Chinese and US presidents discussed the Beijing-Washington trade dispute as well as North Korea's nuclear program during a telephone call Trump described as "very good." Ping then expressed "great pleasure" in talking to Trump again.
But tensions re-emerged at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held last weekend when Ping and US Vice President Mike Pence delivered speeches criticizing each other's trade and investment practices, attacking Ping's protectionist trade policy Trump It takes America as its motto.
