- Trump boasted the U.S. holds “unimaginable playing cards” that might “destroy China,” although he says he received’t use them.
- Washington and Beijing just lately prolonged their commerce truce, with tariffs nonetheless heavy on each side.
- U.S. officers need China to curb sanctioned oil imports and scale back its reliance on export-led development.
President Donald Trump stirred headlines once more Monday, hinting that the U.S. holds “unimaginable playing cards” over China — playing cards that, if performed, he claimed may “destroy” the world’s second-largest financial system. But in the identical breath, he insisted he’s not trying to make use of them, saying as a substitute that Washington and Beijing are “going to have an important relationship.”
Talking from the Oval Workplace alongside South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump repeated his confidence. “We’ve got a lot greater and higher playing cards than they do,” he mentioned, pausing for impact. “They’ve some playing cards. We’ve got unimaginable playing cards. However I don’t need to play these playing cards. If I did, that might destroy China. And I’m not going to play them.” What these “playing cards” truly are — financial leverage, political stress, and even navy instruments — wasn’t made clear, leaving markets and analysts guessing.
Tariffs, Commerce Truce, and a Journey to China?
Trump additionally revealed that he’s spoken just lately with Chinese language President Xi Jinping and is weighing a visit to China, “most likely throughout this 12 months or shortly thereafter.” The remark comes simply weeks after Washington and Beijing prolonged their tariff truce for an additional 90 days, conserving tensions on pause however hardly settled. For the time being, U.S. tariffs on most Chinese language imports sit round 30%, with some duties spiking as excessive as 145% earlier within the 12 months. Beijing has responded with a ten% levy on American items.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned repeatedly that China’s oil offers with Russia and Iran stay flashpoints in ongoing negotiations. He argued final month that Beijing’s willingness to import sanctioned crude is undermining international stability, fueling each Moscow’s and Tehran’s affect. Regardless of sanctions, China stays the world’s high purchaser of Iranian oil and the second-largest importer of Russian provides.
Greater Image: U.S. Needs to Curb China’s Position
The Trump administration isn’t simply involved about oil. Bessent has additionally spoken about limiting China’s dominance because the world’s manufacturing hub. He desires Beijing to reduce its huge export financial system and tackle extra accountability as an import accomplice — a stability Washington believes would assist stabilize commerce relationships.
Whereas Trump framed his remarks in trademark bravado, his administration remains to be threading a needle: pushing for leverage, attempting to maintain negotiations alive, and on the similar time, hinting at deeper structural modifications to the worldwide commerce system.