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.

Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. President Donald Trump raised U.S. tariffs on China to a combined 145 percent, prompting the Chinese to retaliate with a 125 percent levy on American imports.

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.