Trump says ‘there seems to be no reason’ to meet Xi
US President Donald Trump said on his social media site that “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of his trip to South Korea after China restricted the export of rare earths needed for industry in the US.
Trump suggested he expected a “tremendous increase” in import duties on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves.
“One of the policies we are currently calculating is a massive increase in tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States,” Trump shared on Truth Social.
“There are also many other countermeasures that are being seriously considered.”
He added that he did not speak to Xi because there was no reason.
“This was a real surprise not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World.”
The United States and China agreed to lower tariffs earlier this year following negotiations in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, but tensions remain as China seeks to restrict U.S. access to hard-to-extract rare earths needed for a wide range of U.S. technologies.
Trump said China has been “very hostile” and is keeping the world “in thrall” by restricting access to metals and magnets used in electronics, computer chips, lasers and other technologies.
via Reuters
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