Trump says US-China trade talks 'already begun'

US President Donald Trump said Monday that talks on a trade deal with Beijing have resumed following a weekend truce struck with China's Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit.

Trump and Xi agreed Saturday to hold off on new tariff increases as the world's top two economies negotiate a final agreement to resolve their year-long trade war.

Trump also offered to relax some restrictions on US technology exports to Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, triggering a backlash from some US lawmakers.

"It's already begun," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if trade negotiations had restarted.

"They're speaking very much on the phone but they're also meeting." But he suggested the deal should be "tilted" toward the United States.

"It has to be better for us than for them because they had such a big advantage for so many years," he added, referring to China's soaring US trade surplus, which Trump views as a loss for the United States.

"Obviously, we can't make a 50/50 deal. It has to be a deal that is somewhat tilted to our advantage."