BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks may open higher on Friday after both the U.S. and China gave signs that trade talks will resume in September.
'There is a talk scheduled for today at a different level,' U.S. President Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio on Thursday and more talks are scheduled ahead of a looming deadline for additional U.S. tariffs.
Beijing and Washington remain 'in effective communication' about their continuing trade dispute, China's Ministry of Commerce said and added that China will prioritize discussions about removing latest tariffs unveiled by Trump last week.
A new round of U.S. tariffs on some Chinese goods is scheduled to take effect on Sunday.
Asian markets advanced to hover near a one-week high on hopes that policymakers around the world will take more steps to avert a recession.
Investors await a slew of economic data due over the weekend including China's official manufacturing survey for further direction.
Closer home, U.K. consumer confidence weakened in August as households were concerned about wider economy and their own financial situation, survey results from GfK showed earlier today.
The consumer sentiment index fell to -14 in August from -11 in July. This was the joint lowest since mid-2013.
Inflation and unemployment figures from euro area as well as retail sales data from Germany are due later in the session, headlining a hectic day for the European economic news.
Across the Atlantic, trading later in the day may be swayed by reaction to reports on personal income and spending, Chicago-area business activity and consumer sentiment.
Overnight, U.S. stocks rallied after China said it is seeking to de-escalate the trade war with the U.S.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 climbed around 1.3 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index advanced 1.5 percent.
European markets ended Thursday's session on a buoyant note following positive comments from the U.S. and China about resumption of trade talks.
In addition, soft inflation data reinforced expectations that the ECB will inject stimulus into the economy next month.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 1 percent. The German DAX climbed 1.2 percent, France's CAC 40 index surged 1.5 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 1 percent.
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