Steve Mnuchin and Robert Lighthizer spoke with Liu He on Saturday
Chinese officials held a phone call with US counterparts at the White House's request on Saturday, according to a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry.
The sides held "constructive discussions" on each other's core concerns and agreed to maintain close communication, the statement said.
On Thursday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow boosted markets when he said negotiations are in the final stages though "not done yet."
There has been no word on whether the US has accepted China's demand that tariffs be scaled back. Nor has China signaled it will put a dollar figure on agricultural purchases; along with a host of other issues.
I don't see this news as any kind of signal either way. It's the usual rhetoric and at this point you would like to see something more-positive. That said, risk trades are willing to rally on nearly anything at this point.
