President Donald Trump delivered a dual message on the China trade war: the tariffs are “not sustainable,” but they are also China’s fault. “They forced me to do that,” he claimed in a recent interview.
This statement comes as the president confirmed a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is set for two weeks from now. Trump’s admission could signal a willingness to negotiate a rollback of the duties.
The president’s outlook is mixed. He stated, “I think we’re going to be fine with China,” but also, “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” citing that China is “always looking for an edge.”
The meeting, expected at the APEC summit in South Korea, is under pressure from a November 10 deadline, when a 90-day trade truce expires. This truce has paused a conflict that threatened duties as high as 145%.
Trump’s goal is a “fair deal.” He defended the “unsustainable” tariffs as necessary, arguing that without them, the US “would be exposed as being a nothing.”