China and the US have resumed their talks on the trade war. The two have been holding high-stakes trade negotiations, and on many occasions, failed to agree. However, in the last round of negotiations, the two seemed to have reached agreement in principle.

Nonetheless, the agreement may not see the light of day. According to analysts, the US is likely to find an excuse, which would collapse the little hope of sealing the deal.

Lu Xiang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy, says, “The US administration is in ‘a confusion of trivialities’ and it lacks consistency …We can talk, but we are not hopeful…a comprehensive deal as defined by the US is unlikely.”

None of the parties has met the terms and conditions of sealing the deal

Last month, there were clear indications that the two parties would finalize on a limited trade agreement. However, reliable sources have revealed that none of them met the terms and conditions agreed upon in the last meeting.

The US has not yet postponed the tariff increases even though it seems willing to implement a currency pact agreed upon. On the other hand, China claims that it is ready to cooperate with the US on issues of concern, but it is yet to attend to the issue concerning forced technology transfer.

As a result of all these differences, Chinese diplomatic observers are citing increased tensions likely to dog the bilateral ties even more. They are talking about the possibilities of a minimal mini-deal, if any.

Donald Trump lashes out at China concerning the unrest in Hong Kong

With little or no hope of a breakthrough from the negotiations, Trump has lashed out at China to take control of the protests in Hong Kong. He says they are anti-government, and results from them could affect the trade talks. In a rejoinder, Chinese state media put Apple on the spot over an app, which allowed protesters to track police movement.

Meanwhile, 28 Chinese entities were banned by the US government. Various Chinese officials were also sanctioned with visa controls from what Trump said was concerning human rights concerns in Xinjiang.