According to President Donald Trump, China is eager to finalize trade agreements with the United States.
His remarks come as he prepares to kick off trade talks with Chinese representatives in Switzerland on Saturday, amidst a growing tariff conflict between the two nations. “Scott will go to Switzerland and meet with China,” Trump stated to reporters at the White House on Thursday. “They are interested in making many deals. Who initiated the calls doesn’t matter; what matters is what happens in that room. But China is keen on making a lot of agreements.”
In discussions with Air Force reporters on Sunday, Trump emphasized his desire for a “fair” trade deal with China and suggested that the negotiations involve multiple topics.
Trump has long supported tariffs, and the White House has pointed to the record $1.2 trillion trade deficit in 2024 as a justification for these measures. They believe tariffs will help bring back jobs lost in the US manufacturing sector.
Bessent cautioned in April that these tariffs could lead to significant job losses in China, estimating that up to 10 million people could be affected if China does not eliminate its tariffs on US goods. “If these trends continue, we see that China’s tariffs could become untenable for them,” Bessent mentioned, noting the disproportionate trade with the US, which imports far more from China than it exports.
Bessent also informed lawmakers that the US has started dialogues with several countries and indicated that major trade transactions could be announced soon.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
