Trump declares U.S., China are in trade war
發佈日期: 2025-10-16 22:51
TVB News
Donald Trump has declared the the United States is in a trade war with China, pinning the start to Beijing's critical mineral controls.
Meanwhile, the U.S. treasury secretary, who had been an outspoken critic of those curbs, has suggested a longer-term tariff truce with China if it halts plans to restrict rare earth exports.
When asked by reporters if the U.S. and China will enter a trade war if they fail to reach an agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump replied: "We're in one now."
He said: "Well we're in one now. We have a 100 percent tariff. If we didn't have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing. Tariffs are very important tools for our defence, for our national security. If we don't have tariffs, we won't have national security."
Prior to this, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a press conference on Sino-U.S. trade.
The two nations have agreed to several 90-day trade truces this year, with the latest deadline looming next month.
Bessent has floated the possibility of extending a pause of steep U.S. tariffs for longer than three months if China is willing to put off its plan to restrict rare earth exports.
"Is it possible that we could go for a longer roll in return for a delay? Perhaps, but all that's going to be negotiated in the coming weeks."
He further noted Washington would rather avoid taking substantial action against Beijing's "provocative moves," even though it could, adding that the two sides remained in communication over the past few days.
He said: "I believe China is open to discussion, and I am optimistic that this can be de-escalated.
Bessent said Trump was still expecting to meet with President Xi Jinping in South Korea this month.
Greer said China hasn't implemented its revised regulatory system for the critical minerals and could back away, so could the U.S. on its 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.
He said he expects they will be able to be back to where they were a week ago.
In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman today stressed China's export controls on rare earths are consistent with common international practice, rebuking Bessent's criticism of the policy a day earlier.
He said the measures are aimed at better safeguarding world peace and regional stability, and fulfilling international obligations such as non-proliferation.
