Trump Says 'Monumental' China Deal Could Come in Four Weeks
President Donald Trump said he won't schedule a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping until the two sides have agreed on ways to resolve U.S. complaints about China's industrial policies and market access, but said they have already "agreed to far more than we have left to agree to."
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Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House after a late-afternoon meeting with China's top trade negotiator on April 4, said the two sides are getting a lot closer to a deal, and predicted "within the next four weeks or maybe less, maybe more -- whatever it takes -- something very monumental could be announced."
Trump said some of the issues that are yet to be resolved are around intellectual property theft, and about tariffs. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive who speaks with both governments said the two sides are discussing how many of the U.S. tariffs will be rolled back after an agreement is reached, or whether China will agree not to retaliate if the U.S. does a snapback on tariffs if it's not satisfied with China's follow-through (see 1904030025).
Trump noted that people didn't expect the U.S. team to delve into the toughest issues. Some thought the administration would settle for a schedule of Chinese purchases of U.S. exports in order to shrink the trade deficit. But he said it's a very, very comprehensive deal. "This is the granddaddy of them all," he said.