Trump promises ‘epic’ trade deal with China

(c) 2019, The Washington Post · David J. Lynch · NATIONAL, BUSINESS, WORLD, ASIA-PACIFIC · Apr 05, 2019 - 7:55 AM   - WASHINGTON President Donald trump touted prospects for an “epic” trade deal with China Thursday, but acknowledged that a settlement of a year-long commercial conflict remained at least a month away.  

Speaking at an Oval Office meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, Trump said a trade agreement between the two countries could come “within the next four weeks” followed by an additional two weeks to polish the text.  The president, with a salesman’s flair, billed the hoped-for deal as “monumental” and “the granddaddy of them all.”  

But Trump said it was too soon to set a date for a signing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping with negotiators still haggling over core questions, such as a proposed enforcement mechanism and the future of each side’s import tariffs.