President Donald Trump is emphasizing his strong personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying “I get along great with him,” as he prepares for a high-stakes summit in two weeks.
Trump appears to be relying on this personal chemistry to solve a trade war that he now admits is “not sustainable.” He projected optimism, stating, “I think we’re going to be fine with China.”
This is a sharp tonal shift from last week, when Trump threatened to cancel the meeting and impose new 100% tariffs.
Even as he touted his relationship with Xi, Trump admitted the tariffs are a problem. “It’s not sustainable,” he said, but quickly added, “they forced me to do that.”
The meeting, expected at the APEC summit in South Korea, is crucial. A 90-day truce that has paused duties as high as 145% is set to expire on November 10, and Trump is demanding a “fair deal.”