The recent phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump was constructive, sending a signal that the two countries are making headway on their trade issue, according to leading global media outlets.
Xi and Trump talked over phone at the request of the U.S. side on Thursday, during which they spoke of bilateral trade and the Korean Peninsula issue and agreed to meet bilaterally during the upcoming G20 summit in Argentina.
Trump said on Twitter that he had a "long and very good conversation" with Xi and they "talked about many subjects, with a heavy emphasis on trade."
"Those discussions are moving along nicely with meetings being scheduled at the G20 in Argentina," he said, adding that they also "had good discussion" on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
In an article published on Friday, Bloomberg said that Thursday's phone conversation was the first "publicly disclosed call" between the two leaders in six months, with both sides reporting "constructive discussions" on bilateral trade and the Korean Peninsula issue.
Citing U.S. National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, the Wall Street Journal said that the call represented "a thaw" in relations.
"At the presidential level, relations and communications are resuming," Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Reuters said in a report on Friday that the Xi-Trump conversation raises hope of easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, and that investors are glad to see them taking steps to resolve their ongoing trade disputes.
In a report published on its website on Friday, the Financial Times said that Trump's comment on his phone conversation with Xi helps assuage "concerns over the rumbling trade dispute between the two countries."
Another leading British media outlet BBC said the news of Xi-Trump meeting in Argentina shows that the two countries have maintained communication on various levels and Thursday's phone conversation was a positive signal for improving bilateral relations.
The ABC News said in a report published Friday on its website that the Xi-Trump conversation revives hopes that the two countries can resolve their trade disputes amicably.
The Australian ran reports over the Xi-Trump conversation on both Friday and Saturday, saying that it cheered up investors and Trump's comment marked a positive signal ahead of the G20 summit.
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