Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an appearance on Fox News on Thursday night, said that trade negotiations between the United States and China are “a bit stalled” and that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may need to speak to each other to move forward.
“I would say that they are a bit stalled,” Bessent said when asked about the status of the trade talks with China. “I believe that we will be having more talks with them in the next few weeks, and I believe we may at some point have a call between the President and Party Chair Xi [Jinping]."
Bessent was pressed about Trump's insistence that the talks are moving forward, but the treasury secretary brushed off the contradiction.
“I think that, given the magnitude of the talks, given the complexity that it -- this is going to require both leaders to weigh in with each other. They have a very good relationship, and I am confident that the Chinese will come to the table when President Trump makes his preferences known,” Bessent said.
Earlier, Bessent had said positive progress had been made on trade deals and that discussions are continuing, and that he is set to meet Friday with a Japanese delegation.
He also criticized the back and forth rulings on tariffs more generally, echoing the White House message.
“It seems highly inappropriate for the judiciary to weigh it in here when the Senate had the opportunity to override the president and didn't, so, in terms of separation of powers, the Senate has chosen not to exercise their powers, and the president absolutely has the right to set the trade agenda for the US,” Bessent said. “This administration is committed to fair trade, and we are striking the best deals for the American people, and anything that the courts do to get in the way both harms the American people in terms of trade and in terms of tariff revenue.”
He claimed that the legal back and forth had not changed attitudes among any trading partners, and that some “very large deals” are close.
-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim
