Trump Says Serious China Trade Negotiations Coming Soon
Simon Kent
Carlos Barria, Pool via AP
An upbeat President Donald Trump said Monday a U.S.-China trade deal is in the offing and the two sides will begin serious negotiations soon.
Trump said his trade negotiators had received two “very good calls” from China on Sunday night, a sign that progress is being made and China is serious about making a deal.
“I think we’re going to have a deal, because now we’re dealing on proper terms. They understand and we understand,” Trump said as he met with Egypt’s president on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France.
“This is the first time I’ve seen them where they really want to make a deal. And I think that’s a very positive step,” Trump added.
Trump declined to identify those involved in the most recent conversation and whether he is in direct contact with President Xi Jinping. Trump added Monday the two sides will begin ’talking very seriously,” saying that after the calls he believes the Chinese “mean business.”
The positive outlook by Trump came 24-hours after he weighed into the fight with China, reassuringthe country that talks continued.
“Actually, we’re getting along very well with China right now,” he said on Sunday. “We’re talking. I think they want to make a deal much more than I do.”
He said the stock market was still doing “great” as a result of his tax and regulations cuts, accusing reporters of rooting for a recession.
“I mean, you people want a recession because you think maybe that’s the way to get Trump out,” he said. “But I don’t even think that would even work, because, look, if there’s anything, it’s, you know, we’ve got to go into trade negotiations to get it right.”
AP contributed to this report