Trump Cancels Meeting with Xi Amid Tariff Threats
On Friday, President Trump announced the cancellation of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that was set for later this month. This decision comes as he threatens to impose significant new tariffs in response to China’s recent export restrictions.
“Something very strange is happening in China!” Trump expressed in a lengthy post on social media.
He continued, “They’ve grown so hostile that they’re reaching out to countries worldwide, planning to implement export controls on virtually all elements related to rare earths and nearly everything else, even items not produced in China.”
Trump remarked that the relationship with China had been quite positive over the past six months, making this trade move unexpected. “I always felt China was waiting, and yet again, I find myself proven right!” he added.
“China should not be allowed to keep the world in ‘captivity,’ and it seems this has been their strategy for quite a while. They started with ‘magnets’ and other components, secretly assembling a monopolistic stance—a rather sinister and aggressive shift, to say the least,” Trump commented.
He also noted, “The United States possesses a monopoly position far stronger and more expansive than China’s. I hadn’t opted to leverage it before, but now, things have changed! The letter they dispatched was lengthy, detailing each element they aimed to withhold from other nations. What used to be routine is suddenly upended. I hadn’t engaged with President Xi since there seemed to be no need. This was a real shock, not just for me, but for all leaders in the free world. I was set to meet with him at APEC in South Korea in two weeks, but now, I don’t see a reason for that.”
In concluding his statements, Trump said, “Depending on how China reacts to these aggressive ‘orders,’ I, as President, will be compelled to respond economically. For every resource China has managed to monopolize, we have twice as many. We never believed it would escalate to this, but perhaps, as with everything, the moment has arrived…One policy we’re exploring is a substantial rise in tariffs on Chinese imports. There are numerous other options being seriously evaluated as well.”
