Trump Declares ‘No Reason to Meet Xi’ as China Tightens Rare Earth Exports
The Republican president hinted at a “massive increase” in import taxes on Chinese products following Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth exports crucial for U.S. industries.
By Orlin Milinov
Washington:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed plans to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his upcoming trip to South Korea, saying there was “no reason” for talks after China imposed new restrictions on the export of rare earth materials vital to American manufacturing.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was considering a “massive increase” in import tariffs on Chinese goods in response to what he described as an “unfriendly and hostile” move by Beijing.
“One of the policies we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “There are many other countermeasures that are likewise under serious consideration.”
Trade Tensions Escalate Once Again
The announcement marks a renewed escalation in the long-running trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Earlier negotiations had led to a temporary reduction in tariffs after talks in Switzerland and the U.K., but the latest export restrictions have reignited fears of another tariff war between the world’s two largest economies.
On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced new licensing requirements for foreign companies exporting rare earth elements—metals essential for electronics, computer chips, jet engines, and defense technologies. Beijing said it would reject export requests for materials used in military applications.
Trump suggested that the timing of China’s move—coming just weeks before a planned meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit—was no coincidence. “I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” he said.
‘China Is Becoming Very Hostile’
The former president accused China of “holding the world captive” by controlling access to rare earth elements and called Beijing’s actions “especially inappropriate” amid global diplomatic efforts, including a newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“I have not spoken to President Xi because there was no reason to do so,” Trump wrote. “This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the leaders of the free world.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Experts Warn of Economic Fallout
Analysts warn that the escalating rhetoric could mark the “beginning of the end” of the temporary tariff truce. Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said both nations appear to be preparing for another phase of economic confrontation.
“The risk is clear: mutually assured disruption between the two sides is no longer a metaphor,” Singleton said. “Both sides are reaching for their economic weapons at the same time, and neither seems willing to back down.”
The new tensions come amid ongoing disputes over semiconductor exports, agricultural imports, and tit-for-tat port fees—signaling that a full-scale trade war may once again be looming on the global horizon.
