Trump "U.S. was used by China... will meet Xi Jinping in South Korea"

"China would not want a 157% tariff"

Mentioning South Korea and others, "seeking fair treatment"

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 17th (local time) referred to U.S.-China trade talks, saying, "China would not want about a 157% tariff."

President Trump, during a meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, answered a question from reporters about U.S.-China trade talks by saying, "I think the United States is in a very strong position."

Earlier, President Trump criticized China's rare earths export controls and warned that if China does not change its position, from November 1 he would impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese products entering the United States. His remarks on the day were interpreted to mean that because China would not want tariffs reaching a total of about 157% when the current tariffs are combined with additional tariffs, the United States could be in a favorable position in negotiations.

President Trump said, "From November 1, if I want, I can impose an additional 100% tariff on top of what is currently being paid," adding, "Then that (tariff on China) would be about 157% and China does not want that." He continued, "So they want to talk, and we are talking," and predicted, "We will be able to reach a deal that is good for both sides."

He also reiterated that he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in South Korea at the end of this month. President Trump said, "We are getting along well with China. I have a very good relationship with Chairman Xi," and added, "We will meet in Korea in a few weeks."

President Trump also said, "What you should know is that we have gotten nothing from China," and claimed, "It was one-way for decades, and they became wealthy because of the United States." He also argued, "We were very badly taken advantage of by China. We lost hundreds of billions of dollars to China every year. If you think about it, we helped build up their military."

He emphasized, "We are not stupid anymore," adding, "That includes the European Union (EU), Japan, and South Korea as well. What our country wants from these countries is to be treated fairly." He went on, "By 'fair' I mean that hundreds of billions, even trillions of dollars, come into the United States," and said, "Our national security is strengthened by tariffs. Without tariffs there would be no national security."

Ahn Hye-won, Hankyung.com reporter anhw@hankyung.com