Trump, a trail of diplomacy and a possible trip to China to resolve the trade war

Calls this week between top American and Chinese officials are believed to have laid some of the groundwork for a visit to China by US President Donald Trump, possibly in early November.

The trip could take place either before or after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, which gets under way late next month.

Trade negotiations are expected to be a key part of the summit, which could take place shortly before a temporary tariff war truce expires on November 10.

The White House already imposed 30 per cent tariffs on imports of Chinese goods this year and is pressing its European allies to impose 100 per cent tariffs of their own on Chinese products, according to media reports.

Diplomatic observers doubt European nations will agree to such measures. Instead, China could still use its grip on rare earths to twist the US’ negotiating arm, they say.

Chen Qi, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University, said the officials meeting this week were on a mission to relay messages and manage expectations for a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.