President Donald Trump has placed the responsibility for the ongoing trade conflict squarely on Beijing, stating that while the high tariffs are “not sustainable,” China “forced me to do that.”
This assertive, blame-casting stance comes just two weeks before a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, who said he “get[s] along great with” Xi, projected confidence that a resolution is possible, despite the high tensions.
However, the president also tempered expectations, pointing to China’s negotiating tactics. “China is always looking for an edge,” Trump remarked. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see what happens,” he added, introducing a note of uncertainty.
The backdrop for this diplomacy is a looming deadline. A 90-day truce that halted the tariff war is set to expire on November 10. This truce had previously stopped US import taxes on Chinese goods from reaching potentially devastating levels of 145%.
While calling the situation unsustainable, Trump simultaneously defended the tariffs as essential for US standing. “Well, you’re in one now,” he said when asked about a trade war. “We have a 100% tariff. If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing.”