Can Trump and Xi make a deal on trade? In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Cheng Li says that Xi Jinping has faced intense domestic pressure over the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute, and therefore may be more willing to return to negotiations than Trump. The Wall Street Journal had reported that the leaders may try to reach a deal before the G20 summit in November.

U.S.-China trade talks yield little progress. “I think we’re definitely looking at escalation,” David Dollar told NBC News after recent negotiations failed to move the needle. “Most firms are testifying that this is going to hurt their business if they can’t get their intermediate components from China.”

Trade war is not America's strategic goal against China. In an interview with CGTN (starting around 27 minutes) in Beijing, Cheng Li discussed the U.S.-China trade war, and suggested that "there's a lot of room for change" in tactics between the two countries.