President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States and China had negotiated a trade deal, awaiting only &#8220;final approval&#8221; from him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
The agreement includes provisions on rare earth minerals, tariffs, and allowing Chinese students to study at American universities. Trump said that a 55% tariff would be placed on Chinese goods coming into the United States, while a 10% tariff would be levied on American goods going to China. 
“OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!),” Trump posted on Truth Social. “WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
The announcement comes after American and Chinese officials have been meeting in London to discuss trade. On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/us-china-agree-on-framework-to-implement-geneva-trade-consensus-.html">said</a> that the two countries had “reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two presidents,” though the details were unclear. 
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hails-very-good-trade-call-with-chinas-xi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> to Xi for about 1.5 hours in a conversation that included discussions about rare earth minerals and trade. He had posted on Truth Social that Xi was &#8220;VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221;
At the height of the trade war, Trump imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods while China hit the United States with 125% tariffs. The two countries later agreed to significantly lower the tariffs while negotiations moved forward. 
Trump’s announcement about Chinese students comes as his administration has cracked down on foreign nationals&#8217; access to American universities. Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-unacceptable-risk-trump-signs-proclamation-to-stop-foreign-students-from-enrolling-at-harvard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a proclamation to restrict international students from being eligible to attend Harvard University. 
The administration has also blocked all new student visa interviews in preparation for upcoming social media vetting requirements for all international students. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-promises-to-aggesively-target-students-tied-to-chinese-communist-party?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Promises+To+‘Aggressively’+Target+Students+Tied+To+Chinese+Communist+Party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would aggressively revoke the student visas of Chinese students, especially those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

US-GERMANY-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-TRUMP-MERZ

Trump Unveils Terms Of ‘Done’ Trade Deal With China

China

Communist China

Donald Trump

Economics

Economy

Politics

Tariffs

trade

Trade War

Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had just had a &#8220;very good&#8221; phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding trade.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114631295762726849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> posted to Truth Social, Trump said he and Xi discussed &#8220;some of the intricacies&#8221; of the deal struck last month between their countries in Geneva, which had resulted in both sides lowering steep tariffs as negotiations continued.
&#8220;The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,&#8221; Trump posted.
Last week, Trump accused Beijing of violating their agreement, after which U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/05/30/u-s-trade-rep-jamieson-greer-very-concerned-with-chinese-non-compliance-on-trade-agreement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> that China was continuing to <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-trade-rep-says-china-173016290.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrict</a> shipments of rare earth elements that are vital for the U.S. automotive, energy, and defense industries.
&#8220;Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined. We will be represented by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer,&#8221; Trump continued.
Trump also said Xi &#8220;graciously invited&#8221; the first lady and himself to visit China, and he &#8220;reciprocated&#8221; that invitation.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
&#8220;As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE. Nothing was discussed concerning Russia/Ukraine, or Iran. We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Beijing, which on Monday had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/world/asia/china-trump-trade-truce.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the United States of violating the detente on trade, <a href="https://x.com/ChineseEmbinUS/status/1930623117526806799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that a conversation took place and claimed Trump requested the phone discussion with Xi.
China&#8217;s state media reported that Xi asked Trump to &#8220;remove the negative measures&#8221; and to “take the helm and set the right course,” <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/06/trump-says-after-xi-call-that-us-and-china-will-resume-trade-talks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Associated Press.
The conversation took place one week after Bessent told Fox News that discussions between the two economic powerhouses were <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/30/us-china-talks-bit-stalled-and-need-trump-and-xi-to-weigh-in-treasury-secretary-bessent-says.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;a bit stalled&#8221;</a> and suggested that a call between Trump and Xi would be needed for a breakthrough.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114623632387180206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social, &#8220;I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221;

Trump and Xi illustration

Trump Hails ‘Very Good’ Trade Call With China’s Xi

Global Politics

President Donald Trump said early Wednesday morning that Chinese President Xi Jinping is &#8220;very tough&#8221; and &#8220;extremely hard to make a deal with&#8221; as the United States attempts to advance trade talks with China.
While the president&#8217;s top trade officials have met with their Chinese counterparts, Trump has yet to sit down with Xi since imposing massive tariffs on Chinese imports. A senior White House official told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/02/trump-xi-china-trade-tariffs.html">CNBC</a> that Trump and Xi would likely speak &#8220;very soon,&#8221; potentially this week.
&#8220;I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114623632387180206">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-accuses-china-of-violating-trade-agreement-so-much-for-being-mr-nice-guy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Accuses+China+Of+Violating+Trade+Agreement%3A+%E2%80%98So+Much+For+Being+Mr.+Nice+Guy%E2%80%99">accused</a> China of violating its 90-day trade agreement with the United States, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdyXQv5WTYE">said</a> that the talks with China &#8220;are a bit stalled.&#8221;
“Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy!” the president said, referring to the 90-day pause on tariffs. “That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”
Trump&#8217;s frustration with China likely stemmed from the Chinese government&#8217;s slow progress in complying with the 90-day trade truce that froze most tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC last week that China was not fulfilling its promise to export rare earth minerals to the United States after restricting shipments in response to Trump’s tariffs.
“We haven’t seen the flow of some of those critical minerals as they were supposed to be doing,” Greer said, adding, “China continues to slow down and choke off things like critical minerals and rare Earth magnets.”
Newly appointed Ambassador to China, David Perdue, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday. During their discussion, Yi accused the United States of imposing &#8220;a series of negative measures for groundless reasons, infringing upon China&#8217;s legitimate rights and interests,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202506/04/content_WS683fa6f3c6d0868f4e8f3109.html">readout</a> from the Chinese government. Perdue said that during the meeting, he &#8220;emphasized President Trump&#8217;s priorities on trade, fentanyl, and illegal immigration,&#8221; adding that &#8220;communication is vital&#8221; for the U.S.-China relationship.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In a meeting today with Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, I emphasized President Trump&#39;s priorities on trade, fentanyl, and illegal immigration. Communication is vital to the 🇺🇸-🇨🇳 relationship. <a href="https://t.co/RszJpF6ItB">pic.twitter.com/RszJpF6ItB</a>
&mdash; U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue (@USAmbChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbChina/status/1929922392089919653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bessent <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-trade-trump-xi-conversation/">told</a> CBS News in an interview on Sunday that he remains &#8220;confident&#8221; that the U.S.-China trade talks will be &#8220;ironed out.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact that they are withholding some of the products that they agreed to release during our agreement — maybe it&#8217;s a glitch in the Chinese system, maybe it&#8217;s intentional,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll see after the president speaks with the party chairman.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Xi Jinping

Trump Says Xi Is ‘Extremely Hard To Make A Deal With’ As China Trade Negotiations Stall

Executive

China’s President Xi Jinping sent his top security official to Switzerland on Friday for critical trade talks with the U.S., underscoring Beijing&#8217;s recognition of the fentanyl crisis as a key issue amid ongoing tariff tensions with the Trump administration.
The Chinese delegation, led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, includes Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, who is considered &#8220;the point person in Beijing’s recent discussions with Washington over how to address President Trump’s concerns about China’s role in the fentanyl trade,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-sends-xis-security-czar-to-trade-talks-with-u-s-a763826d?mod=hp_lead_pos1">according</a> to The Wall Street Journal. They will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Switzerland on Saturday and Sunday.
The meeting will be aimed at addressing China&#8217;s role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis and tariff policies, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Previously, Chinese officials had accused the U.S. of using the fentanyl problem as a pretext to escalate tariffs.
Now, the Chinese government appears to recognize that it must present cooperative gestures in response to significant American concerns about the fentanyl crisis, as shown by Wang Xiaohong&#8217;s anticipated presence.
“Wang’s presence means one thing: Fentanyl is not only on the table, but also a key piece in the U.S.-China trade talks at this stage,” said Yun Sun, China program director at the D.C. Stimson Center, per the WSJ. “How willing China is to cooperate will illustrate how eager they are to make the trade deal.”
Sources close to the discussions told the Wall Street Journal that the Chinese delegation has been given a clear list outlining steps the Trump administration expects Beijing to take on fentanyl.
These recommendations reportedly include stricter law enforcement measures targeting domestic suppliers of fentanyl precursor chemicals and harsher penalties for criminal organizations involved in narcotics trafficking.
President Donald Trump, who imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods in part due to China&#8217;s connection with the fentanyl crisis — which claims tens of thousands of American lives each year — posted Friday on Truth Social that he is open to lowering tariffs to 80%, placing the decision in the hands of Treasury Secretary Bessent.
“CHINA SHOULD OPEN UP ITS MARKET TO USA — WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON’T WORK ANYMORE!!!” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114477610338144415">posted</a> on Truth Social Friday morning.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-for-china-to-open-its-markets-floats-major-tariff-reduction">Trump Calls For China To Open Its Markets, Floats Major Tariff Reduction</a>

CHINA-US-DIPLOMACY

China Dispatches Top Security Chief To Face Trump Team Over Fentanyl Crisis, Tariffs

Fentanyl

Switzerland

Trump Administration

China threatened on Monday to take &#8220;countermeasures&#8221; against countries that agree to trade deals with the United States &#8220;at the expense of China&#8217;s interests.&#8221;
The country&#8217;s warning to nations around the globe comes as the Trump administration continues negotiations on trade and tariffs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India — one of China&#8217;s biggest economic adversaries — is set to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vance-modi-meeting-india-trump-tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet</a> with Vice President JD Vance this week in New Delhi, where the two are expected to discuss a bilateral trade deal.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce <a href="https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/xwfyrth/art/2025/art_3277f51446f143eda489a1bd5de6f72f.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday that the United States &#8220;has abused tariffs on all its trading partners under the banner of so-called &#8216;reciprocity,&#8217; while at the same time forcing all parties to start so-called &#8216;reciprocal tariff negotiations&#8217; with it.&#8221;
&#8220;It should be pointed out in particular that China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China&#8217;s interests,&#8221; the Ministry of Commerce stated. &#8220;If this happens, China will never accept it and will resolutely take countermeasures in a reciprocal manner. China is determined and capable of safeguarding its own rights and interests.&#8221;
&#8220;Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise cannot be respected,&#8221; the communist government added.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump froze tariffs for most countries at 10% for 90 days as many trading partners showed a willingness to come to the negotiating table. Trump&#8217;s tariff on Chinese goods, however, was increased to 145% as the United States and China traded retaliatory moves. Currently, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. imports.
According to the White House, around 130 countries are lining up to meet with administration officials and hash out new deals, and last week, President Trump joined some of his top trade advisers during a meeting with Japanese leaders in Washington, D.C. Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114372350378942829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Sunday that &#8220;many World Leaders and Business Executives have come to me asking for relief from Tariffs.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s good to see that the World knows we are serious, because WE ARE! They must right the wrongs of decades of abuse, but it won’t be easy for them,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We must rebuild the Wealth of our Great Country, and create true RECIPROCITY. But for those who want the easiest path: Come to America, and build in America!&#8221;
China, however, continues to push back against the Trump administration&#8217;s tariffs, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-doubles-down-on-fighting-trade-war-to-the-end-says-it-will-not-respond-to-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowing</a> to fight the trade war against the United States &#8220;to the end.&#8221;
China is also seeking to strengthen its ties to other nations that have been hit by Trump&#8217;s tariffs. In the past few weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping has courted Vietnam and Malaysia, urging them to defend “an open and cooperative international environment,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/asia/china-tariffs-trade-warning.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Chinese officials have also reached out to Japan, South Korea, and the European Union as the trade war intensifies.

China Vows To Punish Countries That Agree To Trump Trade Deals

The overall strategy of containing China, of hampering its economic growth, of preventing it from stealing our IP by basically cutting it off from world markets, has to be implemented with smart, cohesive tactics.
A trade war is just like any other war.
It&#8217;s not enough to know your objective. You also have to know exactly how to attain that objective in the most expeditious possible fashion.
And herein lies the issue with regard to China. How fast you go and the measures that you take in order to box China matter tremendously.
China absolutely deserves this. China is a geopolitical enemy of the United States.
The pretend pussyfooting that&#8217;s been going on with a wide variety of administrations over the course of my lifetime with regard to China is wrong, and President Trump is the only president who&#8217;s had the courage to actually just confront it. He&#8217;s the only president who&#8217;s had the courage to say China is not just a strategic competitor, as Joe Biden said. They&#8217;re not a rising market that we need to find a way to integrate with, which was the view of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Donald Trump clearly recognizes that China is a geopolitical enemy of the United States, that they have been ripping us off. They&#8217;ve been stealing our IP. They&#8217;re spreading their tentacles all over the world.
And they’re working with all the countries that hate our guts.
President Trump has the courage to say the truth.
Jordan Schachtel, an excellent foreign policy analyst, has a <a href="https://www.dossier.today/p/decoupling-from-china-is-worth-the">list</a> of the various IPs that have been stolen by the Chinese over the course of the last ten years or so. Those include:
<blockquote>F-35 Fighter Jet data used for China’s J-20 stealth fighter. Lockheed Martin F-22 data used for China’s J-31 fighter. Missile guidance to enhance Chinese missile systems. NASA space tech: hacked data on propulsion and materials research. Chip designs worth billions taken for China’s memory chip industry. Nuclear missile sensors. Infrared detection tech stolen for military applications. Boeing C-17 Data. Military transport plane specs hacked, linked to China’s Y-20. Apple’s Self-Driving Car Tech. Chip technology to advance Chinese semiconductors. Nuclear reactor designs. American radio systems. American semiconductor processes. Software code for Chinese tech firms.</blockquote>
It is estimated by certain measures that China steals no less than $600 billion per year in American technology and IP — $600 billion per year. That is a massive number.
So, yes, we should be seeking to contain China. Yes, we should be seeking to build an economic ring of fire around China.
In order to do that, a few things have to happen. First, you need better alliances around China. That means better trade deals, better relations with Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the entire Indo-Pacific region. It means better relations with the EU, which is a major trading partner for the Chinese.
It means that you actually need to strengthen your alliances just like any other war. A trade war works like this. If you&#8217;re going to isolate China, you have to build better relations with everybody else on the planet so you can isolate China.
This is what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been pitching. He says that President Trump’s strategy here is to isolate China in this way, to flip everybody against China so it&#8217;s the U.S. and all of our friends against China.
The other thing that matters here is the strength of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency. That matters an awful lot. It matters because everybody is still trading in U.S. dollars, giving us leverage. If you cut yourself off from world markets, what you end up doing is reducing the leverage you have against other countries.
Economically speaking, one of the amazing things that has happened in terms of American power over the course of the last 30 years has been the integration of global financial systems. It is what has allowed the Trump administration to successfully sanction the nation of Iran.
The state of Iran has been sanctioned by the United States. Russia has been sanctioned by the United States through use of international financial mechanisms.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2178-member-exclusive?elementPosition=2&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Doing these things is only possible because of the integrated nature of technological commerce in the modern era.
It&#8217;s not just that the United States can say, “We&#8217;re not going to trade with Russia anymore. We&#8217;re not going to buy Iranian oil anymore.” It’s that the United States could threaten any bank or entity that did business with America with a cut-off if they did business with the Russians or Iranians, and that has a major effect.
So, in other words, removing yourself from the international system actually damages you if you&#8217;re the most powerful country in the system. The United States is the most powerful entity in that system. It is the sun around which all of the other economies orbit.
If we just disappear, if we just dissociate, that doesn&#8217;t increase our power, it radically reduces our power.
Thus we need to increase our economic power. And that means greater integration with other countries economically, more integration into international financial systems that we control.
This is how you build up the power to take on China, which is a rising power with the ability to truly throw a wrench into the global economy in amazing ways while stealing American IP.
You also need to build up the American military. That means greater expenditure and different types of military tech. Shem Sankara, the chief technology officer for Palantir, which is one of the new defense firms that does business with the American government, said we need to reorient away from any of these big-ticket items in the American military that have a legacy, and instead orient toward new technologies that allows for the United States to defend the Taiwan Straits or break a blockade around Taiwan.
That requires serious expenditure. It also requires serious oversight and requires a real military strategy, not just throwing things against the wall and not just assuming that America&#8217;s heretofore power is going to be its power dynamic going forward.
So you need better trade relations with everybody and better military tech.
And finally, you need the actual reshoring of national security-laden industries in the United States. That requires time. You can&#8217;t just do that overnight. There&#8217;s a bunch of stuff that we need that is made in China, including certain forms of semiconductors, including rare earth materials. All these things are necessary. 
To fight this trade war, we need to put our ducks in a row, and tactics matter. You have to figure out how China will respond and what tools they might use.
Tool #1: They could cut off rare earth mineral exports. They control 90% of global rare earth markets. They did that to Japan. It takes an average of 29 years to go from mineral discovery to production in the United States.
But in China, where they don&#8217;t give a crap about the environment, they just drill it and get it in months. They go and get all that stuff in months.
Tool #2: China could sell off a massive number of U.S. treasury bonds. China likely owns well over $1 trillion in U.S. bonds at this point. If China decided to sell off those bonds at bargain basement rates and just take the loss, it would destroy America&#8217;s capacity to borrow in the market, because bonds are a debt instrument. That would be a shock to the American system and crater the economy pretty much overnight.
Tool #3: China could simply try to blockade Taiwan and hold the U.S. hostage until the tariffs were removed. They might not just blockade Taiwan, they could theoretically invade Taiwan. Blockade of Taiwan is the safer option for the Chinese because they would dare the United States to fire on their ships.
If they blockaded Taiwan, the question is would the United States actually be able to or have the courage to break the blockade around Taiwan at the risk of a possible hot war with China?
If China blockades Taiwan, all the semiconductors that are sophisticated semiconductors, all the stuff in your phone, your computer and our military tech, would be held hostage.
One of the realities of the beginning of World War II in the Pacific sphere is that it was the Western cut-off of oil and rubber, largely to the Japanese, that created the impetus for the Japanese to invade Pearl Harbor. What the U.S. did had to be done, Japan was expanding its grip in Manchuria and the South Pacific.
The tragedy of Pearl Harbor is not just that we were surprised. The tragedy is that we weren&#8217;t ready to fight back immediately, because FDR had not done the necessary work in order to ensure that we were ready to go to war at that time. It took a couple of years for the United States industrial complex to fire up such that it could actually take on a war.
So all of this means everything has to move in lockstep. It means that when you take a trade policy that is likely to push in a more confrontational direction, you have to be ready with the iron fist inside the velvet glove.
Economics is the velvet glove, military force is the iron fist.
We need to have a very concerted strategy for how we go about that trade war with China, because international relations is a delicate business.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP-RETURN

Showdown: Trump Stares Down China

Ben Shapiro

Opinion

President Trump

Technology

China responded on Tuesday to President Donald Trump&#8217;s 10% tariffs on Chinese goods with its own tariffs on multiple imports from the U.S.
The communist country&#8217;s Finance Ministry announced that U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas will be hit with a 15% tariff while crude oil, agricultural machinery, and some vehicles will face 10% tariffs, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/04/china-levies-tariffs-on-select-us-imports-starting-feb-10.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Trump&#8217;s tariffs on Chinese imports to the U.S. went into effect on Tuesday, and China&#8217;s tariffs are set to begin on February 10.
China said that Trump&#8217;s move “seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization&#8221; and &#8220;destructs the normal bilateral economic and trade activities.&#8221; The Chinese Commerce Ministry also announced on Tuesday that it would impose export controls on technologies related to critical minerals, according to CNBC. Trump will likely speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping later on Tuesday, Fox Business <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/china-responds-tariffs-us-goods-after-trumps-tariffs-chinese-imports-take-effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The tariffs&#8217; impact on Chinese markets will not be noticeable until Wednesday, as the country&#8217;s markets are closed on Tuesday for Lunar New Year celebrations. At the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, the Dow Jones, S&amp;P 500, and Nasdaq Composite showed <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/stock-market-today-live-updates.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">little change</a> after recovering from Monday&#8217;s dips.
Over the weekend, the White House released a fact sheet detailing Trump&#8217;s tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico. The president said the tariffs would be used as &#8220;leverage&#8221; to get the three countries on board with Trump&#8217;s desire to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs through U.S. borders.
On Monday, both Mexico and Canada <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trudeau-caves-to-trump-canada-to-ensure-border-security-after-tariff-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caved</a> to Trump&#8217;s pressure and announced that more troops and resources would be sent to the border to tighten security. U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico — and the two countries&#8217; retaliatory tariffs on America — are paused for 30 days while the neighboring nations continue negotiations.
“As President, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL Americans, and I am doing just that. I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day period to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured. FAIRNESS FOR ALL!” Trump wrote after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would &#8220;ensure&#8221; tighter security at its border with the U.S.

China tariffs

China Hits U.S. With Retaliatory Tariffs After Canada, Mexico Cave To Trump

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that he had a &#8220;very good&#8221; call with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping discussing major issues between the countries as Trump prepares to hit the ground running in his second term.
According to Trump, the two leaders addressed &#8220;balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. &#8221; The incoming Trump administration&#8217;s relationship with China will be in the spotlight after Trump is sworn in on Monday. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to levy 60% tariffs on goods from China, a significant increase from his first term.
Trump also said he discussed the controversial Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok with Xi just before the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-allows-tiktok-ban-to-take-effect?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> on Friday morning that the TikTok ban passed by Congress could go into effect this weekend. Trump is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/us/politics/trump-tiktok-executive-order.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> considering an executive order to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. Following the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling, if TikTok&#8217;s parent company — China-based ByteDance — does not sell the social media platform, the ban will go into effect on Sunday, January 19.
&#8220;I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113844165549788304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!&#8221;
China will send its vice president, Han Zheng, to Trump&#8217;s inauguration after the president-elect invited Xi to attend. Zheng&#8217;s appearance will mark the first time a high-ranking Chinese official will be in attendance at an inauguration, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/17/china-donald-trump-inauguration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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China&#8217;s state-run media did not provide details about Xi&#8217;s phone conversation with Trump, but the communist country&#8217;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We stand ready to work with the new U.S. government to enhance dialogue and communication … and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other.”
After winning the election in November, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/17/world/trump-xi-phone-call-us-china-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to dial back his tariff threat on China, saying he would only raise tariffs on Chinese goods by 10% unless the country stops the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
Fentanyl trafficking is the main Chinese drug export and a problem the president-elect has promised to address. According to a 2020 <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Drug Enforcement Agency, China is &#8220;the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States.&#8221;

Trump Speaks To Xi Jinping About ‘Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok’

Trump Speaks To Xi Jinping About 'Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok'

TikTok

New photos obtained by America First Legal allegedly show that President Joe Biden, despite multiple claims to the contrary, mingled his official business as the sitting Vice President with his embattled son Hunter Biden&#8217;s personal business dealings in China.
America First Legal shared several photos in a thread on X, saying that they were taken during a trip Biden took to the communist nation in 2013 — and the photos show Hunter Biden, who had accompanied his father aboard Air Force Two.
One photo appears to show Biden, then the sitting vice president, as he introduced Hunter to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
/2 These photos shed light on the connections between then-Vice President Biden, Hunter and his Chinese business associates, and Chinese government officials, including President Xi Jinping.
&mdash; America First Legal (@America1stLegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/America1stLegal/status/1871255398172561625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;These photos shed light on the connections between then-Vice President Biden, Hunter and his Chinese business associates, and Chinese government officials, including Xi Jinping,&#8221; America First Legal posted.
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The photos, according to the organization, were obtained pursuant to a lawsuit filed against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in September of 2022 — and they were set to be released by NARA on October 23, 2024. That release was delayed by attorneys representing Biden.
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/4 Following the Presidential Records Act, NARA had planned to release these photographs on October 23, 2024 — thirteen days before Election Day. <a href="https://t.co/bK0F4Qv9mV">pic.twitter.com/bK0F4Qv9mV</a>
&mdash; America First Legal (@America1stLegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/America1stLegal/status/1871255712946418081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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/6 In 2013, then-Vice President Biden went on an official trip across Asia, including a stop in Beijing, China. In these newly-released photographs, Joe Biden appears to introduce his son, Hunter, to President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. <a href="https://t.co/chDitOGQIw">pic.twitter.com/chDitOGQIw</a>
&mdash; America First Legal (@America1stLegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/America1stLegal/status/1871256450024321330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Another photo appeared to show Biden introducing Hunter to China’s then-Vice President Li Yuanchao.
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/8 While they were in China, Joe Biden appeared to make time to meet with Hunter’s business associates at BHR Partners, including its CEO, Jonathan Li. <a href="https://t.co/wapWAH2hVW">pic.twitter.com/wapWAH2hVW</a>
&mdash; America First Legal (@America1stLegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/America1stLegal/status/1871256903860228437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Other photos included in the thread appear to show the vice president — who claimed to never have met with his son&#8217;s business associates — meeting with his son&#8217;s business associates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
/10 These photos corroborate the House Oversight Committee’s investigative findings that Hunter Biden arranged for his father to meet with Jonathan Li and other BHR executives during the 2013 China trip, where “Mr. Li sought—and received—access to Vice President Biden’s political… <a href="https://t.co/KEGoURG1In">https://t.co/KEGoURG1In</a> <a href="https://t.co/sJrLMpWdpq">pic.twitter.com/sJrLMpWdpq</a>
&mdash; America First Legal (@America1stLegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/America1stLegal/status/1871258415483265316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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And as noted in the thread, the photos appear to corroborate the findings of the House Oversight Committee&#8217;s investigation into the Biden family&#8217;s foreign business dealings.
&#8220;Mr. Li sought — and received — access to Vice President Biden’s political power, including, for example, preferential access to then-U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus … a condition of Hunter Biden and his associates participating in the BHR deal,&#8221; the report stated.
The new information comes after President Biden issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/liar-liar-biden-pardons-hunter-after-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sweeping pardon</a> to his son Hunter, covering any federal crimes that may have been committed over more than a decade, whether or not charges have already been filed.

Joe Biden, Hunter Biden

America First Legal: New Photos Allegedly Prove Biden Muddied VP Duties And Hunter’s Business Deals

America First Legal: New Photos Allegedly Prove Biden Muddied VP Duties And Hunter's Business Deals

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said on Monday that Chinese communist dictator Xi Jinping&#8217;s mindset is much closer to Nazi Germany than the former Soviet Union.
Vance made the comparison during an interview with Hugh Hewitt while discussing what policies a second Trump administration would have when it comes to confronting an increasingly aggressive China.
Vance said that it was obvious that China wants to take over Taiwan, but it was not clear just how badly they desire the island.
&#8220;I think part of American policy over the next few years has to be to make it as costly as possible for them to seize it by force,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is why it’s important to give the Taiwanese the defensive weapon systems they need &#8230; because if we make it harder for Xi to take Taiwan, that’s going to change his calculus as much as possible.&#8221;
He noted that war game simulations have shown that it would be &#8220;extremely difficult&#8221; to repel a Chinese invasion if the Chinese managed to establish a foothold on the island.
He said that the Biden-Harris administration has failed to deliver the weapons that Taiwan needs in a timely fashion to establish deterrence.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
When asked what he knows about Xi, Vance responded that the dictator was &#8220;certainly ruthless.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t know that he is a Leninist as much as a sort of ultra-Chinese nationalist in some ways,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that the Nazis in the 30s and 40s are sort of a better mental frame for Xi than maybe the Soviets of the 50s and 60s.&#8221;
He said that the Chinese believe that they are destined to rule the world and that Western civilization is nothing more than a &#8220;blip in the historical radar.&#8221;
&#8220;And so I think that we have to recognize they have extremely ambitious plans, and we have to have our own ambitious plans to counter it,&#8221; he said.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: Chinese dictator Xi Jinping is a &#8220;ruthless&#8221; &#8220;ultra-Chinese nationalist&#8221; who is like &#8220;the Nazis in the 30s and 40s&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/CW46NMVtja">pic.twitter.com/CW46NMVtja</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1848393232163483889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2024</a></blockquote>

Republican Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance Holds News Conference On Crime And Safety In Kenosha, Wisconsin

JD Vance: Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping’s Mindset Similar To Nazi Germany

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JD Vance

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On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping — whose country has been accused of stoking the fentanyl trade with Mexican drug cartels that has killed tens of thousands of Americans — reportedly told President Biden that their two nations “should prioritize stability, not provoke troubles, not cross lines but maintain the overall stability of China-U.S. relations.”
The White House called the phone call between the two leaders “candid and constructive,” according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-xi-china-yellen-ai-taiwan-fentanyl-c3317fae3e45b04cffcda5bb63adee56?taid=660c2585f117680001e24287&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">Associated Press</a>, which added, “Xi told Biden that the two countries should adhere to the bottom line of ‘no clash, no confrontation’ as one of the principles for this year.”
Next month, Taiwan will inaugurate Lai Ching-te as its president. He has promised to protect Taiwan’s independence from Communist China. Biden reportedly told Xi that he supported the United States “One China” policy. <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-taiwan/">According</a> to the U.S. State Department, the policy means that the U.S. opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side,” but does not support Taiwan&#8217;s independence and expects cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.
Xi threatened that Taiwan remains the “first red line not to be crossed” and Beijing wouldn’t tolerate any actions from Taiwanese independence supporters, AP reported.
According to investigative journalist and author Peter Schweizer, China is the main driver behind fentanyl being smuggled into the United States by Mexican drug cartels.
Schweizer, author of “Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans,” discussed the crisis on “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic">Fentanyl: America’s Silent Epidemic</a>,” part of a DailyWire+ series by Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro on The Divided States of Biden. The author said the fentanyl trade that contributes to tens of thousands of American deaths every year begins in China.
“They’re the senior partner. The drug cartels are really the junior partner in the fentanyl trade,” Schweizer told Shapiro, speaking of the Chinese regime led by President Xi Jinping.
Ninety percent of fentanyl precursor chemicals shipped from China to Mexico arrive via Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo. The port is run by a Chinese company, according to Schweizer. From the port, the chemicals are taken to a town in northern Mexico close to the U.S. border. About 2,000 Chinese workers work in cartel labs to craft the precursor chemicals into fentanyl and then the fentanyl into pills resembling common drugs such as Vicodin or Adderall.
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Money from the drug trade is then laundered through the Chinese financial system.
Tim Pearce contributed to this article.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-is-the-senior-partner-directing-the-fentanyl-crisis-killing-americans-author-peter-schweizer-says">Related: China Is The ‘Senior Partner’ Directing The Fentanyl Crisis Killing Americans, Author Peter Schweizer Says</a>

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As Chinese-Backed Fentanyl Infiltrates America, Xi Tells Biden Not To ‘Provoke Troubles’

Republican lawmakers said that the United States needs to tackle the fentanyl crisis by going after the source of the deadly drug abroad and taking action domestically to safeguard against the effects of the drug. 
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), the chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) spoke about potential legislative solutions on “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fentanyl: America’s Silent Epidemic</a>,” part of a DailyWire+ docu-series on The Divided States of Biden. In 2023, more than 100,000 Americans <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1220881380/overdose-fentanyl-drugs-addiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> from a drug overdose, with many of the deaths being related to fentanyl poisoning. 
Gallagher said that the Biden administration needed to be doing more to push China to crack down on the illicit fentanyl coming out of its country and into the United States. 
“For years, China has been the fentanyl factory of the world, and for years Xi Jinping has pledged to do something about it,” Gallagher told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro. “But that hasn&#8217;t happened. The Biden administration wants us to believe that another verbal commitment from Xi and more so-called task forces will finally stem the deadly tide of precursor production from China. But are we really to believe that the most powerful techno-totalitarian state in human history couldn&#8217;t stop this plague in a heartbeat if it wanted to?”
<h3><a class="c-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-1928">WATCH: Fentanyl: America’s Silent Epidemic</a></h3>
Gallagher proposed that one way to combat the drugs would be to crack down on the money laundering that fuels the industry, as well as going after payment processors that allow drug trafficking payments. He also suggested putting sanctions on port operators and the shipping companies that facilitate fentanyl trafficking into the United States. 
“But even that, I think, will not be effective unless we secure our southern border,” he said. “If we are not strong at the southern border, districts like mine are going to continue to be effectively border districts, and sons, daughters, parents are going to suffer as a result of this ongoing fentanyl crisis we face in America.”
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Newhouse has proposed policies that would make Narcan, a treatment that can help reverse a drug overdose, available in all schools. He also proposed adjusting the law so that all fentanyl-related substances are classified as a Schedule One drug, meaning they can be targeted for stiffer punishments. In January, he <a href="https://newhouse.house.gov/issues/fentanyl-crisis#:~:text=I%20have%20also%20introduced%20the,and%20out%20of%20our%20neighborhoods.">introduced</a> a bill called the &#8220;Save Americans from the Fentanyl Emergency Act&#8221; to upgrade the classification of all fentanyl-related substances. He said the current system allows drug cartels to bypass current laws by using a different combination of substances that aren’t technically fentanyl. 
&#8220;And so prosecutors who are trying to nail dealers for selling illegal substances are faced with a much higher burden of proof,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If we can regulate that by including all fentanyl-related substances under a Schedule One classification, that will eliminate that problem and reduce the amount of time we can it takes to prosecute and convict drug dealers.&#8221;

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman Announces Large Heroin Bust

GOP Lawmakers Explain Two-Pronged Strategy They Would Take To End The Fentanyl Crisis

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