Trump optimistic despite haze around China trade

Associated Press

BEIJING

President Donald Trump is expressing optimism that China will push forward with a cease-fire on trade as tensions between Washington and Beijing escalates.

Trump tweeted early Wednesday that Beijing is sending “very strong signals” about a new trade framework since returning from talks over the weekend in Buenos Aires.

China’s Commerce Ministry did say on its website that it would begin “implementing specific issues on which consensus has been reached,” but the vague statement included no details.

Global markets did not express the same optimism, selling off in both Europe and Asia. U.S. markets were closed Wednesday in honor of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday.

However, the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 800 points Tuesday over confusion about what the U.S and China will do going forward, and investors are looking for hints as what to expect today when markets open again.

Investor confidence in the U.S.-China agreement faltered after confusing and conflicting comments from President Donald Trump and some senior officials.

That revived fears the disagreement between the world’s two biggest economies could slow global growth. Trump previously said the agreement would lead to sales of American farm goods and cuts in Chinese auto tariffs, but Beijing has yet to confirm that.