US President Donald Trump gave a qualified endorsement to Beijing’s efforts to fulfill the first phase of a trade deal that the two sides reached in January, reported the South China Morning Post.
Commenting on measures the US government has taken to protect various sectors of the domestic economy from the effects of the coronavirus, Trump said on Monday that American farmers could expect some support from agricultural purchases China will make as part of the trade agreement.
“As of April 1 … it seems like [China is] buying,” Trump said at a press briefing. “So we’ll let you know how that’s going, but they’re buying anywhere from $40 billion to $50 billion worth of our agricultural product that would have a huge impact on our farmers.”
Trump said he was confident that China would follow through “because I know President Xi [Jinping], who I like and respect, and I think he will honor the deal he made with us.”