US-China trade deal: Initial pact may reduce tensions but doubts remain

China will boost spending on US products in exchange for the rolling back of some tariffs under an initial trade deal signed by the world's two largest economies on Wednesday, defusing an 18-month row but leaving numerous thorny issues unresolved.
 

Beijing and Washington touted the "Phase 1" agreement as a step forward after months of stop-start talks, and investors greeted the news with relief. Even so, there was scepticism the US-China trade relationship was now firmly on the mend.
 

The deal fails to address structural economic issues that led to the trade conflict, does not fully eliminate the tariffs that