‘Optimistic’ Bessent says US has makings of a deal with China
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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X he was “optimistic” about the path forward in the US' trade talks with China.
PHOTO: AFP
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- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes Washington and China have the "makings of a deal" after Stockholm negotiations.
- Bessent expressed optimism about the path forward, stating a deal would benefit both nations, according to a deleted X post.
- China faces an August 12 deadline to reach a tariff agreement with the US, following preliminary deals in May and June.
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WASHINGTON - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Aug 1 that he believed that Washington has the makings of a deal with China and that he was “optimistic” about the path forward.
“This week’s negotiations in Stockholm have advanced our talks with China, and I believe that we have the makings of a deal that will benefit both of our great nations,” Mr Bessent said, in a post on X that was subsequently deleted.
“I am optimistic about the path forward,” he added.
A Treasury Department spokesperson said the post was being reposted because the images attached to it had not uploaded correctly.
The spokesperson also noted that the language in the post was in line with what Mr Bessent had said in various media interviews this week.
In an interview with CNBC on July 31, Mr Bessent said the US believes it has the makings of a trade deal with China, but it is “not 100 per cent done”.
US negotiators “pushed back quite a bit” over two days of trade talks with the Chinese in Stockholm this week, Mr Bessent told CNBC.
China is facing an Aug 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration, after Beijing and Washington reached preliminary deals in May and June to end escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals. REUTERS
