On Saturday, there was a sign of hope that ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could be remedied. Beijing said that it agreed to significantly increase its purchases of American goods and services, including energy and agricultural commodities. The disclosure came after the conclusion of intensive trade talks in Washington between the two sides. A joint statement said, “there was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States’ trade deficit in goods with China.” “To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services.” However, the two sides did not indicate if they would either delay or drop trade tariffs threats, first initiated in March by President Trump, and followed up by China. A dollar amount of increased Chinese procurement also wasn’t reached though Trump has […]