In the wake of last week’s failed talks in Vietnam between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-Un, America appears to be on the verge of clinching a much bigger Asian triumph.
This after it has emerged that eight months of trade tariffs and resulting bluster could be rolled back if China accepts a US invitation to bury the hatchet – hopefully not in each other’s backs.
Yesterday it was announced that Beijing had asked for a 10-day window period to confirm when its President, Xi Jinping, would meet with Trump at the American leader’s Mar-a-Largo estate in Florida.
Insiders, however, have said that March 27 has been bandied around as a possible date.
Should Trump and Jinping agree to agree, Beijing will finally give in to US demands for structural economic changes that could significantly restore the company information confidentiality of businesses operating in China.
Chinese retaliatory tariffs on $110 billion of US goods are also expected to be lifted.
But perhaps most important for China is the $200 billion in US tariffs that will be lifted on goods sent to its biggest trade partner in the west.
And although about $50 billion in American duties on Chinese goods will expectedly remain in place, early indications are that the end of trade tension between Washington and Beijing is in sight.
Should there be a thawing of the super powers’ frosty relationship, it will place Trump’s North-Korean nemesis on the back foot as China may be requested to freeze Kim out.
