Donald Trump can ‘see’ himself directly talking to Xi Jinping for US-China trade deal
The development came after the US agreed to reduce its 145 percent duties on China to 30 percent for 90 days, while Beijing said it would cut its retaliatory measures to 10 percent from 125 percent.
President Donald Trump said in an interview on Tuesday that he could see himself dealing directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the final details of a US-China trade deal.
"Yeah, I can see that. I mean, I'm not sure that it'll be necessary," Trump told Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity in an interview conducted on Monday on Air Force One as Trump flew to Saudi Arabia.
"We have the confines of a very, very strong deal with China. But the most exciting part of the deal...that's the opening up of China to US business," Trump said.
"One of the things I think that could be most exciting for us and also for China, is that we're trying to open up China," he added, without elaborating on details, the report said.
US-China trade war
The development came as top-level negotiators said after two days of talks in Geneva at the weekend that the US would reduce its 145 percent duties on China to 30 percent for 90 days, while Beijing would cut its retaliatory measures to 10 percent from 125 percent.
The announcement sent financial markets soaring after weeks of turmoil over tariff fears, with major Wall Street indexes surging.
The US president had then described the move as a "total reset. According to Reuters, Trump said on Monday that he could speak with Xi Jinping at the end of the week.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC he expected officials would meet again in the coming weeks to reach “a more fulsome agreement,” AFP reported.
China hailed the "substantial progress" made at the talks, held at the discreet villa residence of Switzerland's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
This move "is in the interest of the two countries and the common interest of the world," the Chinese commerce ministry said, adding that it hoped Washington would keep working with Beijing “to correct the wrong practice of unilateral tariff rises.”
Trump's fresh duties on many imports from China came up to 145 percent this year, compared to 10 percent for other countries in a global tariff blitz launched last month. Beijing hit back with duties of 125 percent on US goods.
(With inputs from agencies)
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