Conway: Trump and Xi ‘will meet again soon’ with trade deadline looming

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday that President Trump wants to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping “very soon” as a deadline nears on trade talks between the two countries.

Conway offered little response on “Fox & Friends” to a report from Sunday night that officials are considering Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as a location for an upcoming meeting.

“It’s possible,” Conway said.

“He wants to meet with President Xi very soon,” she added. “You know, that March 1 deadline is approaching. The president knows his trade polices and the tariffs are working.”

{mosads}Negotiators have until the beginning of next month to reach a comprehensive trade agreement, at which point the U.S. has said it will increase its tariffs on Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Trump said at a meeting late last month with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He that he did not see a need to extend the deadline.

The White House has laid out a litany of issues to be addressed in any final pact, including trade disparities, the enforcement of intellectual property rights and the need to police fentanyl shipments.

Conway said Monday that it appears the two sides are getting closer to a deal.

“This president wants a deal,” she said. “He wants it to be fair to Americans, American workers and American interests. He has forged a mutually respectful relationship with President Xi.

“They’ve got a great relationship. They will meet again soon,” she added.

Top U.S. trade officials, including United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, will head to Beijing this week to continue discussions. Trump has said he and Xi would need to meet before signing any agreement.