Trump administration and China agree on "framework" to ease trade war disputes

Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators have agreed on a "framework" to move forward on trade talks after a series of disputes had threatened to derail them, representatives from both sides said.

The disputes — over visas, minerals and microchips — had shaken a fragile truce reached in Geneva last month to ease some of the massive tariffs that both countries had imposed on each other, leading to a phone call last week between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to try to calm the waters. Tuesday night's announcement of an apparent thaw in relations followed two days of talks in London.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters late Tuesday that negotiators have "reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus." He said the U.S. and Chinese sides will now go back to Mr. Trump and Xi, respectively, and they can start implementing their agreement if the two leaders approve.