Select date

April 2024
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Trump pins hope on ‘great financial team’ on trade mission in China

2-5-2018 < RT 82 370 words
 

As the US Treasury Secretary arrived in Beijing for key talks, President Trump tweeted his support for the crucial mission aimed at negotiating a trade deal that he can present as “fair” and would stop the onset of a “tariff war.”


“Our great financial team is in China trying to negotiate a level playing field on trade!,” Trump tweeted late Wednesday night. “I look forward to being with President Xi in the not too distant future. We will always have a good (great) relationship!”





The US delegation is being led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is tasked with sorting out the trade dispute with the Asian economic giant. During the two-day visit, the US team will meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He to try to resolve many economic and trade issues that have escalated during the recent months.


“As long as the US is sincere about maintaining the long-term stability of China-US economic and trade ties and comes to the negotiating table with mutual respect, equal-footed consultation and win-win results in mind, then we believe that the bilateral consultation would be constructive,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying noted on Wednesday. 


READ MORE: US-China trade spat: Trump says 'good chance' of deal


Considering the scale of disputes, China, however, remains realistic and practical about the upcoming consultations, noting that not all issues can be resolved during one visit.


“In light of the economic volumes of the two countries and the complexity of bilateral ties, it is never very practical to imagine all problems being wiped out through one-time consultation,” Hua added.


Washington had better not “expect that its trade-war stick will force Beijing to take whatever the US delegation offers,” an editorial published in the Global Times cautioned on Wednesday.


Like this story? Share it with a friend!


Print