U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on Thursday. Their desire, quite clearly, was to address the simmering bilateral trade pressures between their two countries. Contradictory stories of the call have left lasting confusion for investors and market-watchers. Export controls They are particularly concerned about the export controls, which still continue to be the biggest sticking point.
Trump and Xi both looked forward to their call Trump is looking for a way to de-escalate the trade war. This highly emotional and targeted conflict has wreaked havoc on global markets. We’ve just learned some details of their remarkable discussion. Differences in the narratives beg the question of how well they coordinated. Analysts warn that these kinds of gaps may make later, more detailed negotiations more challenging or result in misunderstandings about each country’s plans.
By the end of the conversation, U.S. shares had moved into the red. This environment left investors jittery, largely from the uncertainty around what might come out of the eventual call. Against this opaque backdrop, Chinese stocks were among the biggest laggards. The Hang Seng Index started the day higher by 0.1%. Then, just like that, it turned sour, mirroring the sudden turn of investors’ minds.
The CSI 300 Index, the main benchmark for blue-chip stocks traded on the two mainland exchanges, opened slightly up. Nonetheless, traders are very skittish as the real economic consequences of the trade war are just starting to reveal themselves. Current export controls are key to all industries. They further complicate the already thorny relationship between the two economic behemoths.
Despite the call, uncertainties remain prevalent. The discussion largely missed the opportunity to define these key principles that will guide future trade agreements. It further failed to address fears over export policy. Unfortunately, neither leader has done a great job of offering a consistent story, leaving markets roiled. Investors have been hoping against hope to find even a glimmer of good news on a resolution.