Donald Trump has threatened China with a 'worse deal' during his second term - boasting already that he's going to win the next presidential election in 2020.
China and the US have been involved in a tit for tat trade war, hitting each other with a range of tariffs on exported goods.
During an epic Twitter rant yesterday, the Republican said whatever trade deal struck would be far less favourable if it hasnt to be done during his 'second term'.
He wrote: "I think that China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win - in which case they would continue to rip-off the USA for $500 Billion a year....
"....The only problem is that they know I am going to win (best economy & employment numbers in U.S. history, & much more), and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS!"
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He was apparently so pleased with the posts that he retweeted them several hours later, between further rants on Robert Muller and his Russian probe.
China and the United States have agreed to hold more trade talks in Beijing, Vice Premier Liu He said as Trump ordered his trade chief to begin the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China.
The US had escalated the tariff war on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in the midst of last-ditch talks to rescue a trade deal.
Trump had delayed the tariffs as negotiations between Washington and Beijing were progressing.
On Friday, Trump issued orders for the tariff increase, saying China "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations.
US-China trade war escalates as Trump slaps tariffs on $200BILLION of goods
Liu voiced a measured optimism on reaching a deal, but said there were "issues of principle" on which China would not back down.
"Negotiations have not broken down," Liu, China's chief negotiator in the talks, said in Washington.
"Quite the opposite, I think small setbacks are normal and inevitable during the negotiations of both countries. Looking forward, we are still cautiously optimistic."
