U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States and China will have a strong relationship. He acknowledged that both countries have leverage, saying the U.S. holds “incredible cards”, but he prefers not to use them because doing so would “destroy China”.
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He noted, “We are going to have a great relationship with China…They have some cards. We have incredible cards, but I don’t want to play those cards. If I play those cards, that would destroy China. I am not going to play those cards.”
The Trump administration has recently softened its previously confrontational stance toward Beijing in an effort to secure a summit with President Xi and finalise a trade agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that a meeting between the two leaders is likely, although no date has been confirmed.
Earlier, Trump extended a freeze on increased tariffs on Chinese imports for an additional 90 days, pushing it into early November, a decision that helped ease tensions and stabilise trade relations between the world’s two largest economies.
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Trump expressed hope that China would significantly increase its purchases of American soybeans. However, China has yet to buy any shipments from the upcoming harvest, which begins in September.
South Korea’s Lee’s visit to the US
According to Lee’s office, he and Trump talked about shipbuilding and the assassination attempts they both survived. Lee also invited Trump to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in October and suggested that Trump consider meeting with Kim Jong Un during the visit.
He said North Korea now has the capacity to build 10 to 20 nuclear warheads per year, and only needs to perfect a reentry vehicle to carry those warheads on its largest ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S.
South Korea’s economy is deeply dependent on the United States, which supports its security through a military presence and nuclear deterrence. Trump has referred to Seoul as a “money machine,” accusing it of benefiting from U.S. military protection without fully bearing the costs, Reuters reported.
“I think we have a deal done” on trade, Trump told reporters. “They had some problems with it, but we stuck to our guns.”
Trump said while sitting with Lee he would raise “intel” he had received about South Korean investigations he said targeted churches and a military base. The White House did not respond to a request for more information.
(With inputs from agencies)
