Donald Trump to send high-level US delegation to China for trade talks
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will travel soon to Beijing for ‘substantive’ discussions, the president said
US President Donald Trump plans to send Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to Beijing for “substantive” trade discussions in the wake of tit-for-tat tariff threats between the countries.
“We’re having Secretary Mnuchin and a couple of other folks heading over to – Bob Lighthizer – heading over to China, at the request of China,” Trump said in a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the White House.
“We’re having very substantive discussions on trade. I believe the trade will work out, but I also think that China has never treated us with more respect than they have over the last short period of time that I’m president.”
Trump’s comments follow his announcement this month of a raft of punitive tariffs targeting some US$50 billion in annual imports from China, measures the president is using to lower a record trade deficit the US has with its largest trading partner. The trade action is scheduled to take effect next month after a period of review and comment by US industries.
The president didn’t give a timetable for the visit, but The Wall Street Journal reported that the delegation would go to Beijing next week.