U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and Beijing are close to securing a trade agreement, ahead of his anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this week as part of his Asia tour.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for President Xi, and I think we’re going to come away with a deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Malaysia to Japan.
The president added, “We have China coming, and it’s going to be very interesting,” signaling renewed optimism for progress after months of strained negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump also mentioned that he could sign a final deal on TikTok as soon as Thursday, underscoring that multiple economic and trade issues remain on the agenda during his trip.
