President Donald Trump sent conflicting messages on his China trade policy, first calling the high tariffs “not sustainable” before immediately waffling: “But that’s what the number is, it’s probably not, you know, it could stand.”
This ambiguous statement comes as he confirmed a crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is just two weeks away. The president’s comments suggest a negotiating posture that is both flexible and hardline.
Trump insisted that China “forced” him to implement the tariffs in the first place. He is now heading into talks, likely at the APEC summit in South Korea, with a 90-day truce set to expire on November 10.
The president expressed hope for a deal, saying, “I think we’re going to be fine with China.” But he also voiced skepticism: “China is always looking for an edge. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see what happens.”
Despite his questions about sustainability, Trump defended the tariffs as essential. “If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing,” he said, framing the trade war as a fight for respect and a “fair deal.”