Trump says Mnuchin to travel to China for trade talks

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would be traveling to China next week to discuss trade issues.

Trump made the remarks at the White House following a meeting with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the White House pool report.

"I think we've got a very good chance of making a deal," Trump said.

Trump's remarks came after Mnuchin said Saturday that he was considering a trip to Beijing to discuss trade issues with his Chinese counterparts.

"I am not going to make any comment on the timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration," Mnuchin told reporters.

China has received information regarding Mnuchin's possible trip to China and China welcomes this information, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday.

Shanghai Yangshan deepwater port /VCG Photo

The Trump administration has recently threatened to impose tariffs on up to 150 billion US dollars of Chinese imports, while China has vowed to retaliate against US exports if the Trump administration moves forward with the tariffs.

Unilateralism and trade protectionism will inevitably harm others without benefiting oneself as the global economy is deeply integrated, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said last week.

Citing a report from the Brookings Institution, Hua said a US-China trade war would result in a loss of more than 2.1 million jobs in 2,700 US counties.