G20: Trump set to discuss Huawei with Xi
Osaka: US President Donald Trump said he would be discussing American actions toward Huawei Technologies Co. when he meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday in a session that will include a possible trade deal.
The President added, during a morning meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that he had already met once Xi once already on the sidelines of the ongoing G20 summit in Osaka, reports Efe news.
“A lot was accomplished actually last night,” Trump said.
Chinese officials have said that reversing the technology ban on the Chinese tech giant was their top priority in trade negotiations.
But the US has been reluctant to mix what is seen as a national-security issue – whether Huawei equipment can be used for Chinese espionage – with trade matters.
One possibility, said people familiar with the administration’s thinking, is that the US could drop extradition proceedings against Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou as a part of a package deal.
Such a move is bound to provoke an uproar among Republican and Democratic lawmakers who advocate a stricter stance toward China.
“The relationship is very good with China,” the US President said.
“As to whether or not we can make a deal, time will tell. But the relationship itself is really good… We have a very good friendship, a very, very good friendship.”