US President still optimistic on China trade talks

Washington, Mar 14: President Donald Trump expressed optimism again on Thursday about reaching an agreement to resolve a trade war with China, saying talks are "moving along very well."

"We are doing very well with China talks," he told reporters. "We are getting what we have to get."

Despite Trump's upbeat assessment, the two sides continue to lock horns on the hugely complex dispute between the world's biggest economies. Earlier this week, Trump said there was still no plan for him to hold a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump said Wednesday he is "in no rush" for a deal but that there is "a very good chance" for one.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a congressional committee earlier Thursday that he expects the deal to be finalized soon, but cautioned that the process is complex. "We are working diligently but there are 150 pages documents that we are working on," Mnuchin said in response to a question.

The accord will include "very clear enforcement provisions and we want get the agreement right," he said.

"That's more important that the exact timing." Trump had said he expected to hold a summit with Xi Jinping late this month at his Florida golf resort. However, Bloomberg reported that the "signing summit" had been pushed back a month as negotiators struggled to resolve their eight-month trade war.

PTI