China-US trade dispute enters second half

China and the United States reached a consensus to suspend tariff hikes and restart trade talks at the meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Argentina on Dec 1. Yet the Canadian police detained Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, and could deport her to the United States where she could face charges for evading US curbs on trade with Iran.

These contrasting signals show the complexity of China-US trade conflict, and since the conflict has reached a critical stage, four major changes can be expected.

From a blitz to protracted standoff