Trump Clarifies Meeting with Xi Still Possible Despite Tensions

US President Donald Trump on Friday clarified that his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has not been officially cancelled, even though earlier comments hinted otherwise. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “No, I haven’t cancelled. However, I’m not sure if we’ll have it. I’ll be there regardless. I would assume we might have it.”

The statement comes amid heightened trade tensions between the US and China following Beijing’s decision to tighten export restrictions on rare earth elements — a move that Trump described as “shocking” and “out of the blue.”

“They hit the world with something. It was shocking. Out of the blue, they came up with this whole import-export concept, and nobody knew anything about it,” Trump said, expressing surprise at China’s sudden policy shift.

Trump Calls China’s Actions “Hostile”

Earlier, Trump had said there was “no reason to meet” with President Xi after what he termed as China’s “very hostile” trade actions. Beijing’s latest export control measures now require special licenses for rare earth shipments — critical materials used in electronics, electric vehicles, and defense technologies.

In response, Washington is preparing strong countermeasures, starting with a major new trade policy effective November 1, 2025.

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US to Impose 100% Tariff and Export Controls

Trump announced that, from November 1, 2025, the United States will impose a 100% tariff on all Chinese products, in addition to existing duties. He also confirmed that export controls will be placed on critical software from the same date.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote,

“Starting November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”

When asked if these tariffs might be lifted should China ease its export restrictions, Trump replied, “We’ll have to see what happens. That’s why I made it November 1.”

Broader Restrictions May Include Aircraft and Parts

Trump also hinted that the export restrictions could expand beyond software. “A lot more. We have aeroplanes and their parts. We were just surprised by China,” he said. Despite claiming to have a good relationship with President Xi, Trump described China’s actions as “very bad” and “not something that I instigated.”

He further accused China of taking “an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade,” adding that the country had sent “an extremely hostile letter to the world.”

Trump Calls China’s Move a “Moral Disgrace”

In a strong statement, Trump called China’s trade move “absolutely unheard of in international trade and a moral disgrace.” He alleged that Beijing’s decision was part of a long-term strategy, saying, “It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is history.”

China’s new export controls reportedly target a broad range of rare earth elements and processing technologies, including materials essential for semiconductors and military applications.

This latest escalation marks a new chapter in the US-China trade tensions, with both nations adopting increasingly hardline stances on critical technology and resource exports.

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