After three months of bluster and huge tariffs on both sides, Beijing and the Trump administration are softening their language on holding negotiations.

The view that the Chinese leadership was desperate to negotiate a trade deal, to avoid economic pain that could destabilize Chinese society and threaten the Chinese Communist Party’s monopoly on power, is common among China hawks in the United States. This analysis is partly accurate, but it has led many to draw false conclusions.

China's Commerce Ministry says it is evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the US, following senior US officials' expressions of willingness to talk about tariffs. They urge the US to show "sincerity" towards China,