Trump on China: Barriers and tariffs to come down for first time

President Trump on Monday said that barriers to trade with China will “come down,” adding that Beijing will buy agricultural products from American farmers as a result of trade talks.

“On China, Barriers and Tariffs to come down for first time,” the president wrote on Twitter 

On China, Barriers and Tariffs to come down for first time.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2018

“China has agreed to buy massive amounts of ADDITIONAL Farm/Agricultural Products – would be one of the best things to happen to our farmers in many years!” he said in a separate tweet.{mosads}

China has agreed to buy massive amounts of ADDITIONAL Farm/Agricultural Products – would be one of the best things to happen to our farmers in many years!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2018

U.S. officials have been participating in ongoing discussions about trade policies with their Chinese counterparts. 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday that the United States had put its threat to enact tariffs on Chinese imports “on hold” for the time being. 

Trump railed against China and its trade practices when he was running for president, but has since stressed a positive relationship with President Xi Jinping.

He recently sparked criticism for saying he wanted to help a Chinese telecommunications firm get “back into business” after the Commerce Department prohibited U.S. companies from selling to ZTE, claiming it violated U.S. sanctions.