'No preconditions' for Trump-Xi talks: White House advisor
Trump says the talks will be crucial in deciding whether he will expand his trade war with China
WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Donald Trump s top economic advisor said Thursday there are no preconditions from the US or Chinese sides ahead of make-or-break trade talks between Trump and President Xi Jinping.
"There are no preconditions to these talks," Larry Kudlow told reporters at the White House. "That s very important."
Kudlow dismissed a report in The Wall Street Journal saying that Xi will present Trump with a list of demands to be met if the two sides are to resume negotiations on ending their huge trade dispute.
The Journal reported that these preconditions include an end of attempts to block US companies from doing business with Chinese tech giant Huawei, which Washington describes as a national security threat.
Trump and Xi meet Saturday in Osaka, Japan, on the sidelines of a G20 summit.
Trump says the talks will be crucial in deciding whether he will expand his trade war with China, effectively raising barriers on all Chinese goods sent to the United States.
Kudlow said that Trump will impose extra tariffs if the meeting doesn t go well, but he would not specify what would constitute a successful meeting.
"He wouldn t have this meeting with President Xi if he wasn t interested in this deal," Kudlow said.
"If need be, we may move ahead, we may move ahead on additional tariffs," he told Fox News in a separate interview.
Kudlow reiterated Trump s view that the trade war is damaging China and not the United States and that tariffs are being "used to bring them to the table."
The United States wants structural reforms in China to guarantee intellectual property rights for US companies and open up markets. Negotiators nearly reached a consensus in May before talks collapsed, according to US officials.
Trump has already ordered tariffs on some $200 billion in Chinese goods. He says he is ready to impose levies on the remaining $325 billion.
