WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Tuesday that he would consider delaying a March 2 deadline to reach a trade deal with China, saying the United States might not impose higher tariffs on Chinese goods if talks with Beijing were going well.

“If we’re close to a deal where we think we can make a real deal, I could see myself letting them slide for a little while,” Mr. Trump said during remarks at the Oval Office.

Mr. Trump’s comments came as American officials were in Beijing for a week of talks with Chinese officials to try to resolve a trade war that has begun to inflict economic damage on both sides of the Pacific. The two countries are trying to work out significant differences ahead of the March 2 deadline, when, the United States has said, it will increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent.

[One potentially big obstacle in the way of reaching a deal is how the United States punishes China if it doesn’t meet its obligations.]