US President Donald Trump, in an attempt to ease tensions between Washington and Beijing, said that the United States wants to support China rather than harm it. Trump’s remarks came amid flared-up tariff threats over exports that have reignited fears of a full-scale trade confrontation between the two global economic powers.
“Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn’t want depression for his country, and neither do I. The USA wants to help China, not hurt it!!!” Trump wrote on social media, adopting a more conciliatory tone after sharp rhetoric.
US ADMINISTRATION SIGNALS MIXED MESSAGES
Hours before Trump’s post, Vice President JD Vance warned Beijing to “choose the path of reason,” stressing that the United States holds stronger leverage in the dispute. Speaking to Fox News, Vance said the Trump administration hopes to avoid a full-blown trade conflict but would not hesitate to defend American interests.
“It’s going to be a delicate dance, and a lot of it will depend on how the Chinese respond,” Vance said. “If they respond in a highly aggressive manner, I guarantee you the president of the United States has far more leverage. If, however, they’re willing to be reasonable, then the US would be reasonable, too.”
Despite Trump’s attempt to strike a calm tone, his government has pressed ahead with economic measures that have drawn strong reactions from Beijing. On Friday, the Trump imposed an additional 100 per cent tariff on China’s exports to the US and announced fresh restrictions on the export of “any and all critical software” beginning November 1.
CHINA HITS BACK, CALLS US ACTIONS ‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’
Beijing condemned Washington’s latest tariff hike, calling it a case of “double standards.” A spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry said, “China’s position on the trade war is consistent: we do not want it, but we are not afraid of it.”
In a report carried by state broadcaster CCTV, the ministry defended its curbs on rare earth exports, citing national security concerns over the military use of these materials during a time of “frequent military conflicts.” However, Beijing stopped short of introducing new levies on American goods.
Trump had also hinted he might cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea later this month, though he later clarified the event had not been scrapped. “We haven’t cancelled anything yet,” Trump said. “I just don’t know if they were going to have it.”
US TRADE OFFICIAL SAYS BEIJING DEFERS TALKS
Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Jamison Greer revealed that Washington had reached out to Beijing for talks after China announced its rare earth export controls, but the Chinese side reportedly deferred the request, according to news agency Reuters.
“I can tell you that we were not notified, and as soon as we found out from public sources, we reached out to the Chinese to have a phone call, and they deferred,” Greer said on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, calling Beijing’s actions “a power grab.”
Greer added that he expected the markets to stabilise in the coming week as both nations assess their next steps. He said a Trump–Xi meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit could still be possible, depending on how Beijing responds in the coming days.
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With inputs from agencies