Without providing further details, top trade officials in the United States and Taiwan both put a positive spin on the ongoing trade negotiations that were launched last summer. A Taiwanese official indicated that the trade talks are at the tail-end of the first phase of negotiations.

During a visit to Myanmar this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang agreed with his counterpart to deepen cooperation in trade, agriculture and other economic development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) so as to promote the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Last month, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) concluded its expiry review of anti-dumping measures on optical fiber from the United States and the European Union, and decided to maintain the anti-dumping duties of up to 78.2%.

Multiple Chinese trade and industry associations expressed their opposition to new Japanese export control rules over the weekend, calling them "discriminatory" and a violation of WTO rules.

Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa announced last week that Argentina agreed to make payments for Chinese imports in Yuan rather than U.S. dollars, in an effort to maintain its reserves of U.S. dollars.

The Chinese antitrust agency is now conducting an anti-monopoly review on an Egyptian joint venture in which Chinese shipping company COSCO has a share.

As a follow up to the Macron-Xi meeting earlier this month, the Chinese government recently started the domestic process of allowing more French food imports, and moved ahead with the regulatory process for two French GI applications.