Trump says U.S.-China trade talks within reach of a deal

Beijing — President Donald Trump said this week’s talks in Beijing had brought the U.S. and China within reach of a breakthrough in their trade relations, despite his administration’s own assessment that “much work remains” before a deal can be struck.

The president again vowed that any agreement will address the full range of U.S. complaints about China’s behavior, including deep-seated structural features of its economic model.

“We’re a lot closer than we ever were in this country with having a real trade deal,” he said during a Rose Garden news conference about his national emergency declaration Friday. “We’re covering everything, all of the points that people have been talking about for years and said couldn’t be done.”

Trump spoke several hours after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted the two days of talks had been “productive.” But the administration offered no evidence that the two sides had significantly narrowed their differences.

“Everyone thinks it’s a stalemate,” said one analyst who has talked with U.S. negotiators and spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The president is wishing something there that isn’t and is trying to will it to be.”

Negotiations are set to continue next week in Washington aimed at reaching a memorandum of understanding before Trump’s self-imposed March 1 deadline.

The president also raised the bar on what what would constitute success, telling reporters: “It’s going to be better than any deal that anybody ever dreamed possible or I’m not going to have a deal, it’s very simple.”

Fresh from a border security compromise that angered some prominent conservatives, Trump seemed sensitive to criticism of his deal-making. He complained that Democratic leaders would assail whatever deal he reaches with Beijing and said he is considering inviting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to join the talks.

“Any deal I make, toward the end I’m going to bring Schumer — at least offer him — and Pelosi. I’m going to say, ‘Please join me on the deal,’” the president said.