THE PRESIDENT: We haven't set up a meeting yet. I think we're working on seeing where everybody is, and then we'll meet to discuss some final issues. It may be a lot, it may be a small amount. But I have a feeling it will be agreed to pretty quickly by both countries. Both countries would like to see a positive result.
Q And have you seen enough progress, based on what you've heard from your team so far, on IP and technology transfers?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. Yeah, very much. Technology transfer, IT. I think that we have made tremendous progress. That doesn't mean you're going to have a deal, but I can say that there is a tremendous relationship and warm feeling, and we've made tremendous progress.
Q Mr. President, did you talk to your intelligence chiefs today about the displeasure you had with their (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: I did. And they said that they were totally misquoted and they were totally - it was taken out of context. So what I'd do is I'd suggest that you call them. They said it was fake news, so - which, frankly, didn't surprise me.
Q We just ran exactly what they said to Congress.
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me. Excuse me. It didn't surprise me at all. But we're here to talk right now about China.
Q Did the fact they didn't bring up the border as the world threat assessment, did that undermine or undercut what you have said - that there's a crisis at the border?
THE PRESIDENT: It didn't undermine anything. We need a wall. And if we don't have a wall, we're never going to have security for our country.
Q But they didn't bring it up as part of the national security assessment.
THE PRESIDENT: Next.
Q Does that undercut -
THE PRESIDENT: Please.
Q Is there any more detail about the soybean offer and deal?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it's so nice that - you said soybeans?
Q Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: That's a tremendous purchase, which will take place now. And our farmers are going to be very happy.
Q When does that start?
THE PRESIDENT: When is the soybean taking place?
VICE PREMIER LIU: They have already (inaudible).
THE PRESIDENT: They've already started.
VICE PREMIER LIU: And they will start another (inaudible).
THE PRESIDENT: So they've started on a smaller scale, and today they're starting very big. And I very much appreciate that. Please tell President Xi. And on behalf of the agricultural industry, and on behalf of our farmers, frankly, we appreciate it very much. It's a very big order.
VICE PREMIER LIU: Chinese people like U.S. farmers very much.
THE PRESIDENT: They like the U.S. farmers. Well, we have good product. And you can use it, and it's -
VICE PREMIER LIU: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: No, but I really appreciated that. That was really fantastic to say. And that's before we make a deal. It's a fantastic sign of faith.
Q Mr. President, was the Huawei case discussed during negotiations?
THE PRESIDENT: No, we haven't discussed that yet. It will be, but it hasn't been discussed yet.
Q In what aspect? How will it be discussed?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it will be discussed. I'm sure at some point that'll be - that, actually, as big as it might seem, is very small compared to the overall deal, but that will be discussed.
Anything else?
Q Mr. President, is the plan (inaudible) the trips to see Xi and to meet Chairman Kim again?
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me?
Q Would you combine the trips to see Chairman Kim for your meeting again?
THE PRESIDENT: It's possible. We'll see how it is. We haven't discussed it yet. When President Xi and I meet, we want to have it down so that we have certain points that we can discuss and, I would say, agree to. But we're not quite at that stage yet. But all of these representatives and these representatives are coming to a conclusion, except for certain very important points. And we want to make it comprehensive. We want to make a deal that we can look at and be proud of for many years - not where we have to go back and renegotiate, or we left things out.
So whether it's intellectual property or whether it's any of the other things that we discuss all the time, we want to try - would you say? - have everything included. We want to have it very comprehensive.
Q What are the specific points that you feel like you need to negotiate one on one with him personally?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we really - we really have discussed many of those points today. But I would say, probably more than any other thing, every single point that you discuss in the newspapers and on television. Those are the points that we're discussing. I don't think I've ever heard of any point that was discussed by the folks that really represent you, and represent you well. It's every single one of those points have been discussed in our transactions and our trade deal - in this trade deal.
Q Mr. President, you said earlier you would be willing to postpone this. What did you mean by that? Do you want to extend the deadline? Or what did you mean by that?
THE PRESIDENT: We haven't talked about extending the deadline. The deadline is March 1st. That deadline has stayed, and we really haven't talked about it. Maybe we don't - I don't think we have to extend. Now, at a certain point, you're going to have - this is a very complex, and a very large - it's the largest transaction ever made, to be perfectly straight. We have to get this put on paper at some point if we agree. There are some points that we don't agree to yet, but I think we will agree. I think, when President Xi and myself meet, every point will be agreed to.
One of the things that we discussed in Argentina was fentanyl. This is not a trade deal, this is a fact that President Xi was extremely good when he said that they would criminalize fentanyl, because fentanyl is killing a lot of our great American people. And if they did what they are going to do, it would very much halt or at least - I think it would stop fentanyl from coming into this country, which would be a tremendous thing. And so that's a separate than a trade deal, but it's a very important thing.
Q Mr. Lighthizer mentioned enforcement. How do you envision an enforcement mechanism working?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we're going to have strong enforcement language both ways. They want enforcement, too. And I think we're going to have it both ways, and we'll have strong enforcement language. This is a serious deal that we're doing. This could be done very quickly, very easily, but it wouldn't be comprehensive; it would be small.
And I just want to end by saying it really is a sign of good faith for China to buy that much of our soybeans and other product that they've just committed to us prior to the signing of the deal - is something that makes us very proud to be dealing with them. I think that the farmers who have already been notified of this by me and my representatives - and by Sonny. Sonny Perdue is here, the Secretary of Agriculture. I think that was music to your ears, Sonny.
SECRETARY PERDUE: Absolutely. Good news.
THE PRESIDENT: And that's a big number. That's a big number even for you to hear. Right?
SECRETARY PERDUE: Good news. Our folks will be happy.
THE PRESIDENT: Will you let the farmers know right away?
SECRETARY PERDUE: They'll know before I (inaudible). (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: And that was more than even soybeans - that was the other things that we discussed before the press came in. They discussed other things that they are buying also. So, Sonny, if you let everybody know, that would be great.
SECRETARY PERDUE: We'd be happy to do that.
THE PRESIDENT: Were you surprised to hear that?
SECRETARY PERDUE: Pleased to hear that.
THE PRESIDENT: Ah, that's going to keep the farmers busy. That's going to keep them busy. That's a big order.
So let's keep going. Let's start our discussions and we'll ask the media to leave. Thank you all very much. We appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
Q Is Secretary Mnuchin going over with Ambassador Lighthizer?
THE PRESIDENT: I think so. Steve, you're going?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Yes, I'll go with Ambassador Lighthizer.
THE PRESIDENT: Are you going? Are you going, too? Ask Mnuchin. She wanted to know about Mnuchin.
Q Is there a date for that?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: We have a tentative date we need to confirm in the next couple of days.
Q What about the summit with North Korean leaders?
THE PRESIDENT: It's moving along well. The end of the month. The end of February.
Q Any other details you can provide?
THE PRESIDENT: Early next week, probably State of the Union. Okay?
Q (Inaudible) President Xi?
THE PRESIDENT: One way or the other.
