Trump: China calling ‘a lot’ since last week’s tariff increase, deal could happen as soon as 3 weeks

‘Outnumbered’reactstoPresidentDonaldTrumpfieldingquestionsaheadofhismeetingwithItalianPrimeMinisterGiorgiaMeloni. PresidentDonaldTrumpsaidThursdaythatChinahasbeenreachingout“alot”eversincehenearlytripledU.S.tariffsonChineseimports,andhesuggestedtoreportersthatthetwonationscouldreachadealinassoonasthreetofourweeks.  Duringagagglewithreportersaftersigningexecutiveordersrelatedtoderegulatingtheseafoodindustry,TrumpwasaskedabouthisongoingnegotiationswithChineseofficialsand,inparticular,whetherhehasyetspokentoChinesePresidentXiJinpingabouttheongoingtradebattle. “Theyhavereachedoutanumberoftimes,”Trumpsaid,referringtohigh-levelChineseofficials.Whenaskedhowfrequentlythey’vebeenintouchsincelastweek–afterTrumptripledhisChinesetariffincreasefrom54%to145%–thepresidentresponded,“Alot.” GORDONCHANG:TRUMPTARIFFINGCHINAATTHEWORSTPOSSIBLETIMEFOR