President Donald Trump said Friday that a trade deal with China is close as he prepared to send his negotiators to Beijing for a fresh round of talks next week, but U.S. officials downplayed the prospect of a swift conclusion.
Trump has said that he wants an agreement that could be enforced, not a quick deal. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is leading the talks for Trump, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for meetings at the end of next week, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will then come to Washington in April to continue the discussions, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.