On May 3-4, 2018, China and the US held two days of trade talks in Beijing, during which the two sides had a frank and constructive dialogue about trade issues. Both sides also exchanged views on certain key topics, and reached consensuses on some issues.

On May 5, the SIAS jointly held a seminar on evaluating China-US trade negotiations and suggestions for future development, together with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Academics and experts from Fudan University, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), the SASS and Shanghai Development Research Foundation (SDRF) attended the meeting.

Those who participated looked into the consensuses and differences in the trade talks, as well as its implications for the future of China-US relations.