PRESIDENT Donald Trump said he plans to be “very nice” to China in any trade talks, his most positive comments yet since the trade war heated up.

“We’re going to be very nice and they’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said Tuesday in Washington, adding that “ultimately they have to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the US.”

He added that he didn’t see the need to say he’d “play hardball” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Beijing indicated earlier this month that it wants to see a number of steps from the Trump administration before agreeing to any discussions, especially reining in disparaging remarks by members of his cabinet.

Beijing had earlier expressed displeasure with comments Vice President JD Vance made about “Chinese peasants,” with one diplomat calling them “ignorant and disrespectful.” –BLOOMBERG