Decisive talks must be forward-thinking

China and the United States began their latest round of trade talks in Washington on Tuesday, with principal-level discussions led by Vice-Premier Liu He, who is President Xi Jinping's special envoy, and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

The negotiations, which follow those in Beijing last week - after which both sides claimed that progress had been made - will hopefully demonstrate the two countries have the shared desire and sincerity to make a final push to prevent their dispute from escalating.

Both sides should cherish the narrowing of their differences that has been achieved, as it has involved more than just the picking of low-hanging fruit.