What Happened Signs of progress in the month since the United States and China initially agreed to try to negotiate a phase one deal have emerged. The United States is looking for a possible venue for bilateral trade talks, and Chinese and U.S. officials agreed Nov. 7 to a phased removal of existing tariffs in a phase one deal. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump must still sign off on the deal. If the United States and China do reach a phase one deal, then the alternating cycles of escalation and truces in the trade war could change — though deeper issues that divide the two mean their rivalry will persist. What It Means The Nov. 7 developments follow a series of conciliatory gestures between the two sides in recent weeks.