On April 7, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to discuss trade agreements and other pressing issues on global security.
The two presidents will be meeting to discuss and expand a healthier U.S. trade with China and "properly settle friction through dialogue."
However, even before the meeting, an unidentified spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce said that the U.S. should respect and comply with international trade rules.
The ministry's website released a statement that said, "China is willing to cooperate with the United States on a basis of equality and mutual benefit."
The ministry's statement followed the White House's issuance of two executive orders to start an investigation on trade abuses and evasion of import duties.
According to U.S.Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the investigation will require analysts to study "country by country, and product by product." The study will produce a report to be submitted in 90 days.
The commerce secretary said that other potentially involved countries are India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Ross added, ''Needless to say the number one source of the deficit is China."
Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister II Ong Ka Chuan said that American businesses in Putrajaya are not the source of America's trade deficit.
He also suggested that the U.S. president is not aware of the large presence of American companies such as Intel and Western Digital in the country.
Ong said, "Perhaps U.S. President Donald Trump does not know there is a huge presence of American manufacturers in Malaysia such as Intel and Western Digital due to the low production cost here."
The minister added that 53 percent of American electronics that are being exported sources parts from Malaysia.
Minister Ong said that Trump's move will hurt American companies.