President Donald Trump has reiterated that his central, non-negotiable goal in the China trade dispute is a “fair deal.” This demand is taking center stage as he confirms a meeting with President Xi Jinping in two weeks.
“I think we’re going to be fine with China,” Trump said, “but we have to have a fair deal. It’s got to be fair.”
This focus on the “deal” comes as Trump also acknowledged a weakness in his own strategy, admitting the high tariffs are “not sustainable.” He blamed China for this, claiming “they forced me to do that.”
The upcoming meeting is critical. A 90-day truce that has paused the trade war is set to expire on November 10, placing a hard deadline on the “fair deal” negotiations.
This is a change in tone from last week, when Trump threatened 100% tariffs and discussed canceling the summit. Now, he is framing the tariffs as necessary leverage for the “fair deal” he seeks.