US-China trade deal 'too hard' - Trump

  • 24/05/2018
US-China trade deal 'too hard' - Trump
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US President Donald Trump has signalled a new direction in US and China's trade talks, saying the current track appeared "too hard to get done" and that any possible deal needed "a different structure".

In an early morning post on Twitter, Mr Trump cited difficulties such as verification but gave no other details about what he or his administration was looking for amid ongoing negotiations.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the president's statement.

"Our trade deal with China is moving along nicely, but in the end we will probably have to use a different structure in that this will be too hard to get done and to verify results after completion," Mr Trump wrote in his post.

Mr Trump's statement comes amid ongoing negotiations between the world's two largest economies after potential tariffs on both sides raised fears of a trade war even as some tensions have eased over signs of some progress.

On Tuesday (local time), Mr Trump told reporters that he was not pleased with recent trade talks between the two countries but that they "were a start."

Meanwhile China's government pledged to work conscientiously with Washington on resolving a sprawling trade dispute ahead of a visit by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to Beijing.

China's Commerce Ministry said it welcomed imports of "high-quality and competitive" American products following promises to buy more American farm goods and energy.

The ministry's statement gave no details of possible new initiatives but promised to "conscientiously implement" the joint statement by China and the US issued on Saturday in which Beijing agreed to "substantially reduce" America's trade deficit with China.

Reuters