CHINA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump expressed optimism Thursday [1-31-19] about reaching a landmark trade deal with China, but said in an interview that he would consider leaving in place some tariffs on Chinese goods even if the two sides strike an agreement…As he hosted the Chinese delegation in the Oval Office earlier in the day, Mr. Trump said he would meet next month with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. He suggested that Mr. Xi was prepared to make significant changes to Beijing’s economic policies, including opening its market to American companies and buying more products. To buttress his point, Mr. Trump had a letter from Mr. Xi — filled with flattery of Mr. Trump and promises to make big purchases of American agricultural products — read aloud to reporters. Liu He, China’s vice premier and Beijing’s trade negotiator, told the president that Mr. Xi was committed to buying five million tons of soybeans, a pledge that caught Mr. Trump’s aides by surprise.”
–Alan Rappeport and Mark Landler, “Trump Optimistic on Trade Deal With China, but May Keep Tariffs Anyway,” The New York Times online, January 31, 2019