TRUMP SAYS US MUST STRIKE 'GREAT DEAL' AHEAD OF TALKS WITH CHINA

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- United States (US) President Donald Trump on Friday said the US must secure a “great deal for America” as its Treasury Secretary prepares to meet Chinese officials in Switzerland, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, “We have to make a great deal for America,” when asked about Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s upcoming talks with Chinese counterparts.

Asked if he would be disappointed should Bessent return without a deal, Trump replied, “No, not at all. We already made a great deal.”

He added that the US was not currently doing business with China, claiming the country suffered a US$1 trillion loss in trade last year.

“If you're not going to do business with them, you're not going to lose US$1 trillion,” he said.

The negotiations, set for Saturday, are part of efforts to ease tensions after Washington imposed tariffs of up to 145 per cent on Chinese imports earlier this year.

In response, Beijing levied retaliatory tariffs as high as 125 per cent.

When asked about White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt’s recent comment that a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most countries would remain in place, Trump confirmed the policy.

“You are going to always have a baseline.

“There could be an exception at some point .. somebody does something exceptional for us. But basically, you have a baseline of a minimum of 10 per cent, and some of them will be much higher -- 40, 50, 60 per cent -- as they’ve been doing to us over the years,” he said.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU