President Donald Trump signaled on Thursday that he may be hesitant to increase tariffs on Chinese imports, warning that escalating duties could hinder trade between the two nations. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump also revealed that Chinese officials have made several attempts to reach out for a potential resolution, though he refrained from confirming whether he had personally communicated with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I have a very good relationship with President Xi, and I think it’s going to continue,” Trump stated, adding that Chinese representatives had made multiple efforts to initiate talks. However, when pressed on whether Xi himself had been in direct contact, Trump responded by suggesting that he viewed any communication from Chinese officials as stemming from the highest levels of leadership, including Xi.
“I view it very similar. It would be top levels of China,” Trump explained. “If you knew him, you would know that if they reached out, he knew exactly. He knew everything about it, he runs it very tight, very strong, very smart.”
The ongoing trade conflict between the US and China has seen both countries imposing steep tariffs on each other’s goods. The US has levied duties as high as 145% on Chinese products, while China has retaliated with its own tariffs of up to 125% on American imports. Despite the high stakes, Trump expressed reluctance to continue pushing tariffs higher, warning that such increases could damage consumer demand.
“At a certain point, I don’t want them to go higher because you make it where people don’t buy,” Trump explained. “I may want to go to less because, you know, you want people to buy.”
While the tariffs remain at elevated levels, the two countries have yet to reach an agreement, with the US insisting that China must take the first step toward reopening talks. Meanwhile, Beijing has stated that it remains unclear about the specific demands from Washington.
In spite of the ongoing tension, Trump remained optimistic that a deal could be struck, including provisions for trade concessions and the potential sale of TikTok’s US operations. The president confirmed that a deal for TikTok’s divestment had been reached, though he emphasized that it would be contingent on further discussions with China.
“We have a deal for TikTok, but it’ll be subject to China, so we’ll just delay the deal till this thing works out,” Trump said.
Trump had previously suggested that China’s resistance to his tariffs was one of the key factors delaying a deal for the sale of TikTok, the popular social media platform. The president reiterated that the proposed agreement would be beneficial for both the US and China.
“I think it’s a good deal for China,” Trump remarked. “TikTok is good for China. And I think they’d like to see us do a deal, especially the deal that we have pretty much done with some of the best companies in the world.”
When asked if he would reconsider the tariffs if China agreed to the divestment of TikTok’s US operations, Trump indicated that such a matter could be easily discussed as part of the broader negotiations.
“It’s a natural — if we’re making a deal, I guess we’ll spend five minutes to talk about TikTok. It wouldn’t take very long,” he concluded.
The discussions between the US and China continue to evolve, with the fate of both the trade relationship and TikTok hanging in the balance as the two countries navigate their complex economic and political interests.
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