President Trump on Thursday signaled a potential shift in his aggressive tariff strategy, suggesting a more measured approach toward China as negotiations continue—and hinting that a broader trade deal could be just weeks away.

"I don't want them to go higher because at a certain point you make it where people don't buy," Trump said at the White House, referring to tariffs. "I may not want to go higher or I may not even want to go up to that level... you want people to buy, and at a certain point, people aren't gonna buy."

Trump's remarks come after weeks of market volatility sparked by his April 2 tariff announcement, which imposed a 10% levy on most imported goods but left room for negotiation on higher rates. However, tariffs on Chinese imports were raised sharply, now totaling 145%, in response to Beijing's retaliatory measures. China, for its part, has said it will not respond to a numbers game with tariffs, suggesting a possible de-escalation from both sides.

In a significant development, Trump confirmed for the first time that U.S. and Chinese officials are actively discussing a potential resolution. "We're going to have a deal with China," Trump said, estimating that an agreement could be reached "in the next three to four weeks."

When pressed by reporters about whether he has spoken directly with Chinese President Xi, Trump remained vague. "I don't want to say that. It's just not appropriate," he said. But he added, "They have reached out a number of times. All the time, we're talking."

While communications appear ongoing, sources say high-level, deal-closing talks have yet to resume in earnest. Still, Trump expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached, with or without further concessions from China. "If we don't, we're going to have a deal anyway because we're going to set a certain target and that's going to be it," he said.

On the issue of TikTok, Trump said any spin-off deal involving the U.S. operations of the Chinese-owned app would be delayed until trade tensions are resolved. "We have a deal for TikTok, but it'll be subject to China so we'll just delay the deal 'til this thing works out one way or the other," he said.

Overall, Trump's latest comments suggest a softening tone toward China and a willingness to ease tariff pressure in exchange for progress at the negotiating table.