Factbox: Contrasting Chinese, U.S. statements on trade war agreement

(Reuters) – China and the United States agreed on Saturday to a truce in their trade war following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.

However, there are differences in both countries’ official accounts of what was agreed. Here are some of the key differences:

QUALCOMM-NXP

The White House said Xi said he was open to approving the previously unapproved Qualcomm-NXP deal should it again be presented to him.

Senior Chinese officials did not mention this deal in a news conference. However, at least one major Chinese state media outlet mentioned it on its account on Chinese social media platform WeChat, referring to the White House statement.

CHINESE STRUCTURAL ECONOMIC CHANGES

The White House said Trump and Xi agreed to immediately begin negotiations on structural changes with respect to forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft, services and agriculture.

The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councilor Wang Yi, was less specific, telling reporters China will import more products, based on market demand, from the United States in efforts to gradually ease imbalances in two-way trade.

Wang added that the two also agreed to open markets to each other, and that China will work to gradually resolve U.S. concerns in the process of further opening-up.

On Monday, influential Chinese tabloid the Global Times said it understood China and the United States will further discuss moves at expanding market access, intellectual property protection, avoiding compulsory technology transfers, and joint control of cyber crime.

90-DAY TIMEFRAME FOR TALKS

The White House said talks would take place to resolve within the next 90 days specific U.S. complaints like forced technology transfer, or else existing 10 percent tariffs would go up to 25 percent. They had been scheduled to increase to 25 percent on Jan. 1 but were postponed as part of the agreement.

Wang did not mention this timeframe, though Chinese state media has. Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen told reporters that China and the United States would step up talks to remove the existing 25 percent tariffs (on some other products), but gave no timeframe.

CHINESE PURCHASES OF U.S. GOODS

The White House said China will agree to purchase a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other products from the United States. It also said China has agreed to start purchasing agricultural products from U.S. farmers immediately.

China has made no direct mention of specific goods they will start to buy nor given any timeframe for when they may start.