US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Beijing not to drag its feet in trade negotiations in hopes of a better deal if he is voted out of office next year.
Negotiations are due to resume this month after a sharp deterioration in the year-long trade war in August.
US import tariffs rose more than on more than $100 billion in Chinese goods over the weekend.
"We are doing very well in our negotiations with China," Trump said on Twitter, claiming China's deteriorating economy could not withstand a long wait for a resolution.
"While I am sure they would love to be dealing with a new administration... 16 months PLUS is a long time to be hemorrhaging jobs and companies."