Trump says to stops being ‘Nice’ when China violates trade pact.
Trump declares an end to being ‘nice’ in response to China’s violation of the trade agreement. US President Donald Trump on Friday stated he will no longer adopt a conciliatory approach towards China regarding trade, asserting in a social media post that the nation had violated an agreement with the United States. Hours later, Trump stated in the Oval Office that he intends to engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing optimism that a resolution can be achieved, while maintaining his position that China has breached the agreement.
The specifics of the deal referenced by Trump remain ambiguous. However, the rhetoric marked a significant departure from the recent optimism, as he reduced his tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent for a period of 90 days to facilitate negotiations. China has lowered its tariffs on American products from 125 percent to 10 percent. The unfortunate development is that China, as some may have anticipated, has completely breached its agreement with the United States, as noted by Trump. Thus concludes the era of the benevolent figure.
Trump stated that the reduction in tariffs swiftly stabilized the Chinese economy, while also providing a measure of relief to US companies that claimed the prior rates effectively hindered their capacity to import Chinese goods and jeopardized their operations. “So much for being Mr. Nice Guy!”: Trump criticizes China regarding the tariff agreement. The remarks illustrate the friction between the globe’s two foremost economies, with Trump keen to demonstrate that his tariffs can yield significant outcomes in terms of US manufacturing employment and heightened domestic investment.
This week, the Trump administration intensified its confrontation with China by declaring its intention to begin revoking visas for Chinese students pursuing their studies in the United States. Trump’s approach to negotiation frequently oscillates between severe threats and ambitious assertions of advancement. His unpredictable approach has led the financial markets through significant fluctuations characterized by sell-offs and rallies, resulting in an overarching atmosphere of uncertainty.
This situation has been exacerbated by a recent court ruling indicating that Trump exceeded his legal authority with the extensive Liberation Day tariffs implemented in April, along with the import taxes imposed on China, Canada, and Mexico related to fentanyl smuggling earlier this year. A federal appeals court on Thursday permitted Trump to continue collecting the tariffs under an emergency powers statute as he contests the prior ruling.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Friday stated that the two parties have sustained dialogue regarding their individual concerns in the economic and trade sectors since officials convened in Geneva nearly three weeks prior. However, the embassy indicated that the Chinese government has consistently expressed concerns to the US about its misuse of export control measures in the computer chip sector and other associated practices.
Both nations are engaged in a competitive endeavor to advance technologies like Artificial Intelligence, with Washington aiming to restrict China’s access to the most sophisticated computer chips. China has reiterated its call for the United States to promptly rectify its misguided actions, halt discriminatory restrictions imposed on China, and collaboratively uphold the consensus established during the high-level discussions in Geneva, according to the embassy’s statement.
Sun Yun, director of the China programme at the Washington-based think-tank Stimson Center, remarked, “I think the Chinese are playing hard to get with the trade talks.” Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, on Friday criticized the United States for expanding the definition of national security by politicizing trade matters. He characterized the actions by the US as malicious efforts to obstruct and undermine China. We categorically reject that assertion and will steadfastly uphold our rightful rights and interests, Lin stated.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated during a Thursday interview on Fox News’ Special Report that discussions with China had come to a standstill. Considering the intricacies and scale of the discussions, “this is going to require both leaders to weigh in with each other”, Bessent stated. Their relationship is characterized by a high degree of positivity. It is my belief that the Chinese will engage in negotiations once President Trump articulates his preferences.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on CNBC Friday that China has failed to eliminate non-tariff barriers as per the agreement. According to Greer, the anticipated flow of certain critical minerals has not materialized as expected. In December, China declared export restrictions to the United States on essential minerals such as gallium, germanium, and antimony. In April, it announced additional export controls on rare earth minerals as a reaction to the tariffs imposed by Trump.
