Trump says he's "not interested" in talking to China about trade
Washington — President Trump said he's "not interested" in engaging in a second round of trade negotiations with China, following the "Phase One" trade deal reached in January.
"I'm not interested right now in talking to China," Mr. Trump told CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge in an interview Tuesday.
"We made a great trade deal. But as soon as the deal was done, the ink wasn't even dry, and they hit us with the plague," Mr. Trump continued, referring to the coronavirus pandemic, which scientists say originated in Wuhan, China, late last year. The president has repeatedly touted his decision to impose travel restrictions on China in late January.
He announced he had signed a bill and an executive order sanctioning China over the situation in Hong Kong at the White House on Tuesday evening. He said he has "no plans to speak to" Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.
While the president initially praised the Chinese response to the pandemic, he has since blamed the country for failing to contain the virus, leading to strained relations between the two countries and dimming hopes of progress on further trade talks.
Mr. Trump said in January that tariffs on Chinese goods will remain until a "Phase Two" trade agreement between the two countries, prolonging a trade war that has hurt U.S. consumers and served as a drag on global economic growth before the downturn prompted by the pandemic.