Trump trade official upbeat about China talks

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s chief trade negotiator said Tuesday that he is making progress resolving the toughest remaining issues in trade talks with China and will know “before too long” whether a deal is possible.

“Our hope is that we are in the final weeks” of nego- tiations, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee.

The president has spoken publicly of hosting a “signing summit” for Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mara-Lago Florida estate later this month, a goal that now appears likely to slip into next month at the soonest.

Lighthizer said it remained unclear whether final gaps between the two sides could be closed.

“We’re working more or less continuously,” he said. “I’ll be on the phone again with them tomorrow.”

Lighthizer outlined a multipart agreement that will likely exceed 110 pages and address U.S. complaints about fundamental elements of China’s state-led economic system as well as pry open Chinese markets for Amer- ican manufacturers, farmers and ranchers.

Chinese subsidies for favored industries, which results in excess production spilling over into global markets, will be among the disruptive practices targeted.

Any agreement must curb China’s requirement that foreign companies surrender technology secrets to their Chinese joint venture partners before doing business in China and also protect U.S. intellectual property, Lighthizer said.

Lighthizer spoke one day after Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer accused the president of rushing into a “weak” deal with the Chinese.

“It is abundantly clear that China is playing us,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.