Trump confident of future trade deal with China
發佈日期: 2025-04-28 19:34
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his claim that China wants to reach an agreement on tariffs and he expects progress.
Trump has suggested that he is in contact with President Xi Jinping but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was not aware of any recent contact between the two leaders.
On his way to the White House from Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, Donald Trump was asked if he had been speaking to Xi Jinping.
Trump said: A little bit, look a little bit. They want to make a deal obviously. Right now, they're not doing business with us. You know people talk about going cold turkey with China, meaning just forget about it. We were losing hundreds of billions of dollars a year with China and now they're not doing any business with us, because nothing goes to them because of me, because at 145 percent you can't do business. But something's going to happen, that's going to be positive.
Trump last week hinted that the high 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods won't last for long, seen as a climbdown on his part.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not back Trump's assertion that tariff talks with China were underway, adding he was unaware of any contact between Trump and Xi.
In Beijing, Chinese officials downplayed the potential impact of a trade war with the U.S.
Zhao Chenxin, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the U.S. is creating bargaining chips out of thin air, bullying and then going back on their word, a strategy he said was bound to fail.
He added that the import of grain from the U.S. accounted for a low proportion of China's consumption and other supply sources are available.
Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Yu Jiadong said China is ready for uncertainties and possess the toolbox to deal with employment issues and encourage entrepreneurship.
President Xi, meanwhile, is expected to visit the financial hub of Shanghai this week.
In his last visit in November, 2023, he urged the city to build on its strengths as an international financial centre and take the lead in technology.
