President Donald Trump is hailing even greater momentum in trade talks with China.
The president took to Twitter yesterday to tout “big progress” on a possible trade deal between the world’s two largest economies following a conversation with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
“Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China,” he wrote. “Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!”
The discussion comes less than a month after the leaders agreed to a 90-day financial ceasefire — temporarily shutting down the White House’s threat to raise levies from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of goods come January. (The U.S. has slapped tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports — about $50 billion of which already carry the 25 percent levy.)
“The relationship is very special — the relationship that I have with President Xi,” Trump remarked before his meeting with the Chinese leader during the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this month. “I think that is going to be a very primary reason why we’ll probably end up with getting something that will be good for China and good for the United States.”
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China’s Xinhua news agency also reported that Xi and Trump spoke on Saturday to discuss Sino-U.S. relations, with the former “expressing hopes that both teams can meet each other halfway and reach an agreement beneficial to both countries and the world as early as possible.”
The trade war truce brought about optimism in the stock market, which surged into the green after Trump hailed negotiations between the countries in a tweet published mid-December.
“Very productive conversations going on with China!” Trump declared.
Despite the suspension in hostilities with China, investors continue to express concerns over the ongoing government shutdown as well as media reports that Trump is considering the removal of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. (Against the president’s repeated warnings, the U.S. central bank this month raised interest rates to a range of 2.25 to 2.5 percent.)
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