The window for negotiations ahead of a March 2 deadline is narrowing.
President Trump said Thursday that trade negotiations with China were going well but that no final agreement would be reached until he met with President Xi Jinping.
Mr. Trump, in a series of morning Twitter posts, said there was “good intent and spirit” on both sides of the talks. He asserted that China wanted to make a deal so that the United States does not increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports on March 2.
….China’s representatives and I are trying to do a complete deal, leaving NOTHING unresolved on the table. All of the many problems are being discussed and will be hopefully resolved. Tariffs on China increase to 25% on March 1st, so all working hard to complete by that date!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2019
China’s top trade negotiators are in the U.S. meeting with our representatives. Meetings are going well with good intent and spirit on both sides. China does not want an increase in Tariffs and feels they will do much better if they make a deal. They are correct. I will be……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2019
Why the trade talks are unlikely to resolve all issues by the deadline.
The president is scheduled to meet with Liu He, China’s vice premier, in the Oval Office on Thursday, the second day of talks between American and Chinese officials who are trying to hash out what Mr. Trump called a “comprehensive transaction.”
The United States wants China to commit to buying American goods and services in large quantities to reduce America’s trade deficit, and to agree to make sweeping structural changes to the Chinese economy.
Mr. Trump said that he and Mr. Xi could meet to finalize an agreement in the near future