President Donald Trump said trade talks with China are progressing “very nicely” but warned a deal would only be possible if it worked for the US.
There were reports last week that the two countries had agreed to a phased roll back of tariffs on each other’s goods to end the trade war that has hit the world economy.
"The trade talks with China are moving along, I think, very nicely and if we make the deal that we want it will be a great deal and if it's not a great deal, I won't make it," Mr Trump told reporters on Saturday.
"I'd like to make a deal, but it's got to be the right deal," he said.
"China very much wants to make a deal," Mr Trump added.
"They're having the worst year they've had in 57 years. Their supply chain is all broken, like an egg, they want to make a deal, perhaps they have to make a deal, I don't know, I don't care, that's up to them."
He also claimed the tariffs had brought in tens of billions of dollars to the US economy and soon "literally hundreds of billions of dollars”.
"There was a lot of incorrect reporting, but you will see what I'm going to be doing," he said.
An official from the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday that negotiations had been “serious” and “constructive”.
But Mr Trump had warned on Friday that nothing concrete had been agreed so far.
