Trump: ‘We Have to Have a Fair Deal’ with China

President Donald Trump has reiterated his core demand in the US-China trade war, stating, “We have to have a fair deal. It’s got to be fair.” This demand comes as he prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks.
In a recent interview, Trump paired this demand with an admission that his current tariff strategy is “not sustainable.” He deflected blame for this, however, by stating that China “forced” him to implement the duties.
Trump expressed a positive outlook on the upcoming talks, saying, “I get along great with him,” referring to Xi. “I think we’re going to be fine,” he added.
This meeting, expected at the APEC summit in South Korea, is crucial. A 90-day truce that has paused the trade war is set to expire on November 10. The negotiations will determine if the conflict, which stoked fears of a global slowdown, will resume.
Trump continues to defend the tariffs as necessary leverage. “We have a 100% tariff,” he said. “If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing.”