Donald Trump says trade deal gets tougher for China if he wins in 2020

“Think what happens to China when I win,” Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday. “Deal would get MUCH TOUGHER!”

Trump said in his tweet that the US is “doing very well in our negotiations with China,” without offering any specifics. He said he’s certain China would “love to be dealing with a new administration.”

The tweet comes as Chinese and US officials are struggling to agree on the schedule for a planned meeting this month after Washington rejected Beijing’s request to delay tariffs that took effect over the weekend, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Despite efforts by Trump to soothe financial markets and portray the talks as making progress, the world’s two biggest economic powers have yet to agree on basic terms of re-engagement, with mistrust on both sides.

Trump said on Twitter in June that Democrat Joe Biden would be “China’s Dream Candidate, because there would be no more Tariffs.” Biden said in July that Trump’s tariffs are “crushing American farmers” and said the US needs to be “tough AND smart” in dealing with China.

The new 15% U.S. duty on about $112 billion of Chinese products will hit Americans more directly than an existing 25% tax on about $250 billion of goods, targeting consumer staples ranging from footwear and apparel to home textiles, as well as technology products like the Apple Watch. A separate batch of about $160 billion in Chinese goods -- including laptops and mobile phones -- will be hit with 15% tariffs on Dec. 15.