President Donald Trump has openly questioned the long-term viability of his own administration’s tariff policy, calling the high duties on China “not sustainable” during a recent interview.
This striking admission comes just two weeks before a critical, scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, however, immediately justified the policy, insisting that China’s trade practices “forced me to do that.”
The president’s outlook on the talks appears conflicted. He stated, “I think we’re going to be fine with China,” and highlighted his “great” personal relationship with Xi. Yet, he also expressed wariness, stating, “China is always looking for an edge. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The stakes for the meeting are incredibly high. A temporary 90-day truce that has kept the trade war from escalating—preventing import taxes from hitting 145%—is due to expire on November 10.
Last week, Trump’s stance was more aggressive, threatening a new 100% tariff by November 1 and even floating the idea of canceling the Xi meeting. Now, he insists the goal is a “fair deal,” justifying the current tariffs as essential leverage.