Ross sees reason for optimism on trade

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he was "optimistic" that the United States and China could reach agreement on a series of trade issues "in the not too distant future", prompting speculation that the US may weigh resuming talks with China.

Ross, speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Maryland, said the US and China have "a couple of sets of issues". First of all is the personal relationship between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, he said.

That relationship, which continues to be "very strong", is "really the foundation of our relationship" in trade discussions as well as discussions with Pyongyang on the Korean Peninsula issue and on many geopolitical issues, Ross said at a news conference.