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US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is waiting for a call from China to begin trade negotiations. In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared that he had recently had a “great call” with South Korea’s acting president, discussing a range of issues, including the country’s trade surplus, tariffs, and large-scale purchases of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“I just had a great call with the Acting President of South Korea. We talked about their tremendous and unsustainable surplus, tariffs, shipbuilding, large scale purchase of U.S. LNG, their joint venture in an Alaska Pipeline, and payment for the big-time military protection we provide to South Korea”, Trump wrote.
He went on to highlight that South Korea had started paying for military protection during his first term, a deal, which Trump lamented, was “terminated” by President Joe Biden.
Expressing optimism about the potential for a good trade deal with South Korea, Trump said, “They began these military payments during my first term, billions of dollars, but Sleepy Joe Biden, for reasons unknown, terminated the deal. That was a shocker to all! In any event, we have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries. Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good.”
Trump also noted that the US is in discussions with several countries, all of which, he suggested, are eager to strike deals with the US. He described the negotiation process as “one-stop shopping,” where a wide range of issues, beyond just trade and tariffs, will be addressed.
With regard to China, the US president said the country “wants to make a deal, badly,” adding that Beijing is unsure of how to begin the talks. He made it clear that he is awaiting a call from China to get the negotiations underway, saying: “We are waiting for their call. It will happen! GOD BLESS THE USA.”
This comes just a day after Trump threatened China with an additional 50% tariffs unless Beijing reversed its retaliatory tariffs, which had been increased by 34% on U.S. goods. Trump set a deadline for today for China to respond.
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