After a weekend of escalated trade tensions, President Donald Trump expressed that he was hopeful a trade deal would be negotiated with China, noting on Aug. 26 that China wants “to make a deal very badly.”
“I think they want to make a deal very badly, I think that was elevated last night,” Trump told reporters at a press conference at the G-7 Summit in France, referring to public statements by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He that he wanted a “calm resolution,” made the night prior.
“He [Liu] said he wants to see a deal made. He wanted it to be made under calm conditions, using the word ‘calm,’” Trump said, expressing agreement with the choice of words.
Great respect for the fact that President Xi & his Representatives want “calm resolution.” So impressed that they are willing to come out & state the facts so accurately. This is why he is a great leader & representing a great country. Talks are continuing!https://t.co/0sotrd1Mzh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2019
Liu, who is Beijing’s top economic advisor, said in an Aug. 25 statement that China wishes to “resolve the issue through consultations and cooperation in a calm attitude” and that they “resolutely oppose the escalation of the trade war.”
“[It] is not beneficial for China, the United States, nor to the interests of the people of the world,” Liu said.
Trump, meanwhile, said that it would be for China’s own good to reach a deal quickly, as it is suffering from an economic downturn. “Their [supply] chain is breaking up like nobody has seen before,” he said, referring to manufacturers moving their production out of China to avoid U.S. tariffs.
Trump said that he was confident Liu’s words were sincere. “The longer they [China] wait, the harder it is to put it [China’s economy] back,” Trump said. “I’m not sure they have a choice, and I don’t say that as a threat.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2019
Mixed Messages from China
At a press conference on Aug. 25, Trump also said that Beijing had called trade representatives in Washington twice regarding the trade deal over the weekend. He relayed that they said they will “be getting back to the table” shortly.
“We’ve gotten two calls. And very, very good calls,” Trump said. “They mean business.”
“I think we’re going to have a deal because now we’re dealing on proper terms,” he said, adding that it was the first time he has seen them “really do want to make a deal.”
Confusion arose when Geng Shuang, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, denied any knowledge of calls made to Washington during an Aug. 25 press briefing. He instead criticized the United States for escalating friction with its decision to raise tariff rates on Chinese goods. The rate increase, announced on Friday over $550 billion worth of Chinese goods, was a response to China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports made earlier in the day.
China’s state-run media also hit out at the United States with a series of criticisms.
The English-language China Daily ran an editorial on Aug. 25 stating that “Washington will never be allowed to control China’s fate.” It added that “Beijing will not cave in to its [U.S.] demands” no matter how much the United States applied pressure.
“China has never been a yes-man to any country, and it is not going to be one now,” it said.
On the same day, the Chinese tabloid Global Times, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily, also published an editorial stating that China has stood “unfazed” by what it called “U.S. hysteria.” It added that Beijing has made “full psychological preparations” to cope with a further worsening of trade tensions.
On Aug. 26, Trump and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin both stood by their earlier statements about calls between China and the United States, but would not go into details.
“We’ve had calls. We’ve had calls at the highest levels,” Trump said at an Aug. 26 press conference at the G-7.
“Why wouldn’t they? They want to get something done,” he said, noting that he expects U.S. companies to stay in China and “do a great job” if a trade deal can be reached.
From The Epoch Times
