FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

President Trump Exudes Confidence that U.S. and China Will Have a Trade Deal

Feb. 1, 2019 (EIRNS)——President Donald Trump was almost exuberant in the meeting yesterday with China’s Vice Premier Liu He over the possibility of a trade deal between the U.S. and China before the end of next month.

“It will be, by far, if it happens, the biggest deal ever made—not only the biggest trade deal ever made. It will be the biggest trade deal by far, but it’ll also be the biggest deal ever made. The two largest countries doing a trade deal. There won’t be anything that will match that.”

He started the meeting by having Liu He read the letter he had brought from President Xi Jinping. Vice Premier Liu also extended President Xi’s greetings and praised President Trump for his success with the U.S. economy. Liu He also expressed great optimism about the possibility of a trade deal by the time the two Presidents meet next month.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will be traveling to Beijing even before the official end of the Spring Festival in order to work out the kinks that are left in the negotiation.

China has promised to buy 5 million tons of soybeans from the U.S. Trump was euphoric, responding, “That’s going to make our farmers very happy. “That’s a lot of soybeans. That’s really nice.” Vice Premier Liu replied, “Chinese people like U.S. farmers very much.”

Trump also highly praised Vice Premier Liu.

“I just want to say the Vice Premier is a friend of mine. He has become—he is truly one of the most respected men in Asia, one of the most respected men in all of China, and, frankly, one of the most respected men anywhere in the world. And it’s a great honor to have you with us.”

The President later expanded on the U.S.-China relationship:

“The relationship is very, very good between China and the United States. And the personal relationships are very good, with the Vice Premier, with myself and President Xi, and with our representatives. It’s been very, very good. And, you know, you read a lot of things. Sometimes you hear good, sometimes you don’t hear good. But I will say that I think that the relationship that we have right now with China has never been so advanced. I don’t think it’s ever been better.”