US President Donald Trump hardened his tariffs stance towards China on Friday, saying he would not roll them back unless Beijing offered “something substantial” in return. He also said another 90-day pause directed at imports from most other countries would be “unlikely”.
When asked what concessions he wanted Beijing to make, Trump said he would like to see China’s economy be “open”.
“That would be great. That would be a big win,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One. “But I’m not even sure I’m going to ask for it because they don’t want it open. They don’t want it open.”
Trump’s latest take on what he wants in exchange for the elimination of new US tariffs follows a string of tonal shifts on the issue, prompting wild swings in global markets since he announced his so-called “reciprocal” levies on April 2.
Earlier on Friday, Trump told reporters he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping “numerous times”.
Yet when asked whether they had spoken since the recent round of tariff tensions began, Trump said: “I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken to him numerous times.”