Talks or no talks: Who blinks first in US-China trade war? It is this tactic that Mr Sung points to as an explanation for Yuyuantantian's Weibo post. The other option, Mr Sung explains, is a "much looser understanding of what 'the other side has reached out' means". Getty Images Dwindling US-China trade is hurting both Chinese exporters and American buyers and consumersFor Xi, Mr Sung described the situation as a "two-level game". But the start of negotiations does not mean that the US-China relationship - which was rocky even before Trump kicked off a trade war - is close to being steadied.