In this file photo taken on June 29, 2019 Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump attend their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. — AFP pic
WASHINGTON, Sept 3 — US President Donald Trump today warned Beijing not to drag its feet in trade negotiations in hopes of a better deal if he is voted out of office next year.
Negotiations are due to resume this month after a sharp deterioration in the year-long trade war in August.
US import tariffs rose more than on more than US$100 billion in Chinese goods over the weekend.
“We are doing very well in our negotiations with China,” Trump said on Twitter, claiming China’s deteriorating economy could not withstand a long wait for a resolution.
“While I am sure they would love to be dealing with a new administration... 16 months PLUS is a long time to be haemorrhaging jobs and companies.”
“And then, think what happens to China when I win. Deal would get MUCH TOUGHER!”
Chinese state media reported today, meanwhile, that Republican Senators Steve Daines and David Perdue met in Beijing with Vice Premier Liu He, China’s top negotiator in the trade talks.
The news followed word that efforts to get the trade talks back on track may be faltering.
US and Chinese officials are having difficulty scheduling a time to meet after Washington rebuffed Beijing’s demands to hold off on imposing the weekend’s latest round of tariff increases, according to Bloomberg. — AFP
