President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller clap after an announcement of a trade deal between the US and EU in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 27.

Yet analysts say the Chinese leader is likely holding out for concrete deliverables before agreeing to the high-profile meeting. Trump dramatically escalated the trade war with the world's second-largest economy in April, rolling out sweeping new tariffs that prompted China to respond with its own export duties and other measures.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the European Union wasn’t feared enough in the trade talks with the US, which led to a deal many have criticized as unbalanced.