Trump Praises Chinese Counterpart Xi Jinping Amid US-China Tariff Standoff, Calls Him 'Very Smart Man'

Amid the escalating trade conflict between the United States and China, President Donald Trump has described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "smart man" and expressed optimism about a potential deal between the two global powers.

The economic standoff has sent ripples across global markets, with both nations imposing successive rounds of tariffs on each other's goods.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said: "I think President Xi is a man who knows exactly what needs to be done. He's a very smart man. He loves his country. I know that for a fact. I know him very well."

He added: "And I think he's going to want to make a deal. I think that's going to happen. We'll get a phone call at some point, and everything will be ready."

Trump concluded with a hopeful tone: "It is going to be a great thing for us, the world and for the humanity."

Since assuming office in January, President Trump has implemented a series of tariffs targeting various nations, in a bid to address what he sees as unfair trade practices and imbalances disadvantaging the United States.

Tariff Hikes Intensify Trade Tensions

In a move likely to intensify the ongoing US-China trade war, Trump on Wednesday announced a sharp increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, raising them to 125 percent. He justified the action by accusing China of disrespecting global markets.

"Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World's Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately," Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He continued: "At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realise that the days of ripping off the US and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable."

Commenting further, Trump said: "China wants to make a deal. They just don't know how quite to go about it... President Xi Jinping is a proud man. They don't know quite how to go about it, but they'll figure it out."

Earlier on Wednesday, a previous round of US tariffs came into effect, raising duties on Chinese imports to 104 percent. In response, China retaliated by increasing its own tariffs on American goods from 34 percent to 84 percent, effective Thursday. Beijing also announced it had filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization, accusing the Trump administration of "bullying".

Although China has responded with reciprocal measures to each of Trump's tariff hikes so far, it has yet to officially respond to the latest 125 percent duty.

Temporary Tariff Suspension for Other Nations

In contrast to the aggressive stance towards China, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of his broader tariff policy for other countries, indicating a more measured approach elsewhere.

"I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line, they were getting yippy, you know," he remarked, using a sports term referring to a loss of nerve.

He said his decision came after monitoring the fragile condition of the US bond market: "I saw last night where people were getting a little queasy."