Trump: China is eager to make a deal on trade

President Trump on Friday said “China wants to make a deal” with the U.S., but noted that any deal would have to be reciprocal. 

“China wants to make a deal,” the president told reporters Friday in the Oval Office.

“They sent a list of things that they’re willing to do, which was a large list,” he added, referencing a list of items on which China said it was willing to compromise.

“I think we’ll have a deal. We’ll find out very soon,” he continued. “We have to have reciprocal trade. We can’t have trade that’s meant for stupid people, and that’s the way they took advantage of our country.”

President Donald Trump says “China wants to make a deal” on trade pic.twitter.com/7V24XJvnpn

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 16, 2018

Trump’s comments on Friday come one day after China’s Commerce Ministry said the country had resumed trade talks with Washington.

Reuters reported Wednesday that Beijing sent a written response to U.S. demands for trade reform, which could jumpstart negotiations. Sources, however, did not reveal whether the response noted any concessions.{mosads}

On Thursday, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said the two sides are “maintaining close contact” ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina later this month.

China and the U.S. have exchanged billions in tit-for-tat tariffs over the last months, keeping the world market on edge as the world’s two largest economies clash.