U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday he's optimistic about reaching a trade agreement with China as President Donald Trump launched a sweeping new round of tariffs affecting dozens of countries.

The Treasury head said recent trade deals announced by the US — including with the European Union and Japan — created a “lot more leverage” and promised China will not get a “special deal,” despite being America’s third largest trading partner among individual nations.

Mr Bessent's post on X about the outlook for trade talks with China was subsequently deleted. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.