Trump "Will meet Xi Jinping within 2 weeks… 100% tariffs on China are not sustainable"

Fox interview amid speculation about an APEC visit to Korea

"On good terms with Xi… Things will go well with China"

Trump "Will meet Xi Jinping within 2 weeks… 100% tariffs on China are not sustainable"Donald Trump, U.S. President (photo), said that imposing high tariffs on China is not sustainable ahead of a meeting with Xi Jinping, President of China.

On the 17th, President Trump said in an interview with Fox Business that when asked whether the 100% tariffs imposed on China could be maintained, "That is not sustainable." He added, "They (China) made me do it." He blamed China for the recent stalemate in trade negotiations between the U.S. and China.

On the 10th, President Trump warned he would impose an additional 100% tariff on China starting November 1. If so, additional tariffs on China in a second Trump administration would rise to 130%. This move was in response to China's recent tightening of rare earths export controls. President Trump strongly criticized on the social network Truth Social, "China's tightening of rare earths export controls is taking the whole world hostage."

However, in the interview President Trump continued conciliatory remarks toward China. He mentioned he would meet Chairman Xi Jinping soon. He said, "I get along very well with Chairman Xi, and I will meet him within 2 weeks," adding, "I think we will work things out with China." This is interpreted as referring to talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held from the end of this month in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Initially, some in the market predicted that the U.S.-China summit could be canceled as U.S.-China trade tensions intensified. It is reported that President Trump and Chairman Xi are likely to make successive state visits to Korea coinciding with the APEC summit in Gyeongju at the end of this month.

Reporter Han Myung-hyun wise@hankyung.com