Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim. But there is hope that the two countries will scale back the massive import taxes they have imposed on each other's goods since President Trump launched a trade war.

The way President Donald Trump sees it, beating China in a trade war should be easy. After all, the Chinese sell Americans three times as much stuff as Americans sell them.

US officials met with their Chinese counterparts for the first time on Saturday to go head-to-head over President Trump's tariff war.