Trump says China trade talks are on, blames Dems for backtrack

President Trump on Wednesday said top Chinese officials will travel to the U.S. later this week to resume trade talks, even as he accused Beijing of holding out for a better deal under a future Democratic president.

In a pair of tweets, Trump said China “has just informed us” that Vice Premier Liu He and other negotiators “are now coming to the U.S. to make a deal.”

{mosads}“We’ll see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling U.S. coffers,” Trump wrote. “Great for U.S., not good for China!”

….Guess what, that’s not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier) are now coming to the U.S. to make a deal. We’ll see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling U.S. coffers…great for U.S., not good for China!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019

China announced Tuesday that Liu would attend the talks, breaking a days-long silence that raised doubts about whether the long-planned meetings would take place. China’s participation was uncertain after Trump on Sunday threatened to raise U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Trump administration officials accused China of backpedaling on its commitment to change its laws to address core trade irritants for the U.S., such as intellectual property and forced technology transfers. Reuters reported earlier Wednesday that China made sweeping edits to a proposed trade agreement that were sent to the U.S. late last Friday. 

“The reason for the China pullback & attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to ‘negotiate’ with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats, and thereby continue to ripoff the United States (($500 Billion a year)) for years to come,” Trump tweeted. “Guess what, that’s not going to happen.”

The reason for the China pullback & attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to “negotiate” with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats, and thereby continue to ripoff the United States (($500 Billion a year)) for years to come….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, recently said China is “not competition for us,” and expressed confidence the U.S. will remain the dominant world power. 

“China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man,” Biden said last week at a campaign stop in Iowa.

Biden campaign communications director Kate Bedingfield responded in a tweet that “the only people @realdonaldtrump has gotten tough w/ so far on trade are US farmers, small business owners & consumers, who feel the brunt of his tariff war” and that Biden would “ensure that US & our allies write rules of the road re: China.”

Trump has made cracking down on China a core issue of his presidency and his 2020 reelection campaign, accusing the country of “taking advantage” of the U.S. on trade and killing American jobs.

Updated at 12:29 p.m.