WASHINGTON — President Trump began his trade war with China out of concern that Beijing was using unfair economic practices to prevent the United States from dominating next-generation technologies like autonomous vehicles, advanced telecommunications and artificial intelligence. But as the two countries move closer to a trade deal, it seems increasingly unlikely that China will give ground in a crucial area that could determine which country wins the technology race. With another round of trade talks underway this week, the United States and China appear headed toward an agreement that could end the monthslong trade war and lift tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of products. China is offering to strengthen its laws surrounding intellectual property, direct large purchases of American goods and reduce barriers for foreign companies in industries like finance and agriculture. It has also proposed giving foreign cloud computing companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Apple greater ability to operate independently in China, people familiar with the negotiations say.

Source: International New York Times April 30, 2019 22:14 UTC