The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal writes that Donald Trump had one of the most productive foreign trips of his Presidency this weekend as he announced a tariff truce and new trade negotiations with China...his cease-fire with China is good news for the economy and American workers. Mr. Trump and President Xi Jinping stepped back from the brink of total trade war while giving themselves room to strike a deal over new trading and investment rules...Far more important, the two countries will begin talks this month on China's predatory behavior including forced technology transfer, intellectual property and cyber theft, and regulatory abuses against foreign companies. The parties have 90 days to agree or Mr. Trump will apply the 25% tariff—and presumably more on top of that...The larger message of this truce is that both sides seem to appreciate that an economic Cold War would benefit neither. The Chinese are worried about their slowing and heavily indebted economy, while Mr. Trump needs growth to have a chance at re-election. The incentive to strike a deal is compelling.

The Financial Times reports that Chinese president Xi Jinping has removed a black cloud that had been threatening to overshadow crucial economic policy decisions by securing Donald Trump's agreement to suspend the imposition of higher tariffs on Chinese imports. The weekend truce with the US president will make it easier for Mr Xi and his top trade negotiator, vice-premier Liu He, to resist domestic calls for stimulus measures to support China's slowing economy — which would undermine a campaign to stabilise the country's high debt levels. China's leaders are due to map out economic priorities and strategies for the coming year at two important Communist party meetings later this month, beginning with an annual party "work conference" that is held every December. Ahead of those meetings Mr Xi and Mr Liu will be relieved at Mr Trump's willingness to refrain from any further tariff measures pending three months of talks. The US-China talks could begin as soon as December 12 when Mr Liu, according to people briefed on preparations for this weekend's meeting between the Chinese and US presidents, was provisionally scheduled to lead a negotiating team to Washington.