President Donald Trump is building a narrative that he was “forced” by China to act, resulting in a tariff policy that he now concedes is “not sustainable.” This sets the stage for his meeting with President Xi Jinping in two weeks.
By blaming China for the “unsustainable” policy, Trump creates a negotiating position where he can offer to remove the tariffs in exchange for Chinese concessions on a “fair deal.”
“I get along great with him [Xi],” Trump said, projecting optimism. “I think we’re going to be fine.” This is a stark reversal from last week’s threats to cancel the summit and impose 100% tariffs.
The meeting is urgent. A 90-day truce that has paused the trade war expires on November 10, threatening a return to escalating duties that have worried global markets.
Trump continues to defend the tariffs as a necessary show of strength. “If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing,” he stated.
