President Trump and General Secretary Xi had a second face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G20 on July 8 amid brave-faced portrayals of the bilateral relationship from both sides. But the balance of US-China trade relations going into the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue (CED) on July 19 is skewed toward disagreement rather than comity. Findings from US trade investigations indirectly targeted at China are expected to be released around this coming meeting, which mark the end of the “100-Day Plan” the leaders set out at their initial summit. The outcome will likely sour expectations of partnership.
