Trade Talk Shows Promising Signs, Trump to Meet Xi to Seal the Deal

The two-day trade talk between the U.S. and Chinese delegation led by Vice President Liu He had officially ended yesterday with some very promising signs from both parties.

 

Liu told the U.S. President Donald Trump that China would make a new and immediate commitment to buy more soybean from the U.S. Later, the number was announced as a total of 5 million tonnes a day, which was a double amount of what China had been importing since the resuming of limited purchase in December.

“It’s gonna make our farmers very happy,” said Trump.

 

As for Washington, Trump said that he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon, citing that the world’s two largest economies could reach “the biggest deal ever made.”

The meeting between two leaders have not been scheduled, but the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will be visiting Beijing in February to discuss more on the deal.

 

However, the very delicate matter like protecting American intellectual property was not progressed as much as it should be. Lighthizer said there was “substantial progress” on this issues, including verification mechanisms to “enforce” China’s follow-through on any reform commitments it makes, but stated no further.

 

In addition, the talk went well according to plans and Trump believes that they, U.S. and China, could reach a deal before the deadline in March.

“I think we can do it by March 1st,” said Trump.