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  1. Negotiations

US-China

Washington and Beijing began formal negotiations towards a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) in June 2008. A year later, the highly sensitive talks were halted until July 2013. The US is interested in getting Chinese restrictions on foreign ownership in about 100 sectors -- from soybean oil and automobiles to life insurance and other financial services -- lifted for US companies which want to expand their market presence there. The Chinese government is interested in getting more security for highly-scrutinised Chinese investments in the US and its massive holdings of US sovereign debt ($1.3 trillion).

In late 2013, China agreed to initiate talks on a possible BIT with the European Union as well.

July 2014

Navarro: US-China trade deal will take 3 phases
4-Nov-2019     Fox Business
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the United States' trade deal with China will require three phases.
China says it’s working on trade agreement text with US
17-Oct-2019     Bloomberg
Chinese officials are working on the text of an agreement on trade in close contact with US negotiators, and have begun discussions on the next stage.
China wants more talks before signing that trade deal Trump promoted
15-Oct-2019     Los Angeles Times
China wants to hold more talks this month to hammer out the details of the “Phase One” trade deal touted by President Trump before Xi Jinping agrees to sign it.
Trump reaches ‘Phase 1’ deal with China and delays planned tariffs
12-Oct-2019     New York Times
If completed, the agreement would involve China buying $40 billion to $50 billion worth of American agricultural products annually.
China narrows scope for trade deal with US ahead of talks
7-Oct-2019     Bloomberg
Chinese officials suggest a broad pact is off the table.
China, US seen to have good reasons to reach interim trade deal next week, but agreement far from assured
4-Oct-2019     South China Morning Post
Negotiators from China and the United States will meet for the 13th round of high-level trade negotiations in Washington.
China to exempt US pork and soybeans from additional trade war duties, in response to Trump’s tariff delay
16-Sep-2019     South China Morning Post
China has announced that it will exclude imports of US soybeans, pork and other farm goods from additional trade war tariffs, opening the door for significant purchases of agricultural products.
Trump advisers consider interim China deal to delay tariffs
13-Sep-2019     Bloomberg
US could offer a limited trade agreement to China that would delay and even roll back some US tariffs in exchange for Chinese commitments on intellectual property and agricultural purchases.
In countdown to trade war talks, China ready to sweeten deal by buying American goods, source says
11-Sep-2019     South China Morning Post
China has offered to buy American products in exchange for a delay in a series of US tariffs and easing of a supply ban against telecoms giant Huawei.
Political pressures rolled back globalization before. It can happen again
9-Sep-2019     The Washington Post
It’s a good guess that the new global economic system will give overt political considerations greater weight than its predecessor. Countries will link trade benefits and penalties to their political agendas.