President Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday that he is open to the idea of a new trade deal with Beijing, according to multiple reports.
Trump told reporters that he thinks the U.S. reaching a trade agreement with China is “possible,” and also emphasized his “very good relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to various reports. The reports come after Trump announced on Feb. 1 that he was enacting 10% tariffs on imports of Chinese goods in an attempt to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs coming into the U.S from China.
“It’s possible. It’s possible,” Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility of a new trade deal with China aboard Air Force One. “We did a great trade deal with China, great for the farmers, great for the manufacturers. They had to buy $50 billion worth of our product and we were making them buy it. The problem is that Biden didn’t push them to adhere to [it].”
Beijing reportedly began gearing up to begin trade discussions with the U.S. government shortly after Trump announced the new slate of tariffs. Ahead of his inauguration, Trump said that he had a conversation with Xi over the phone about fentanyl, trade and other subjects, stating that the conversation was “a very good one.”
Notably, there have been mounting concerns about the threat that China poses to U.S. national security amid Beijing’s ongoing attempts to expand its global influence. There have also been thousands of Chinese nationals attempting to come into the U.S. illegally in recent years.
“I have a very good relationship with President Xi,” Trump added. “I think a great relationship with President Xi. And remember, he loves China and I love the U.S. So, you know, right, there was a little bit of competitiveness. But the relationship I have with President Xi is, I would say, a great one. It was obviously hurt by COVID coming in. It hurt them, hurt us, hurt the whole world. But outside of that, I have a very, very good relationship with President Xi. I think he’s a very unique person.”
The president also announced on Feb. 1 that he was imposing 25% tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico alongside the tariffs on China, stating that there was an “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl,” stemming from the foreign countries. Trump agreed to pause the new tariffs on Mexico and Canada for 30 days after the Mexican government agreed to send thousands of troops to bolster security at the U.S.-Mexico border and Canada pledged to better secure the northern border.
During his first presidency, Trump imposed stringent trade restrictions on imports of various Chinese goods, which kicked off a trade dispute between the U.S. and China.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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