President Donald Trump is heading into talks with China with a clear ultimatum—”It’s got to be fair”—while also acknowledging that his main negotiating tool, high tariffs, is “not sustainable.”
The president confirmed he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks. He blamed China for the tariffs, claiming “they forced me to do that,” thus framing any rollback as a Chinese concession.
“I get along great with him,” Trump said of Xi, expressing optimism. “I think we’re going to be fine with China.” This is a sharp reversal from last week, when he threatened to cancel the meeting.
The summit, expected at the APEC gathering in South Korea, is under pressure. A 90-day truce in the trade war expires on November 10, adding urgency to the “fair deal” negotiations.
Trump continues to defend the tariffs as a matter of pride. “If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing,” he stated, justifying the “unsustainable” policy.