Trump: 'Further 100 per cent tariffs on China are not sustainable, we must make fair deal'
The US President also confirmed that he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a fortnight' time
Key points
The 100 per cent tariffs threatened by Donald Trump against China "are not sustainable", the US president himself said in an interview with Fox Business. "But that's the level, they made me do it," Trump highlighted, stressing that the US needs a"fair deal" with Beijing on the trade front. Trump has threatened China with further 100 per cent tariffs, which will be added to the existing ones, following the rare earths squeeze.
Trump also confirmed that he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a fortnight' time. "I think everything will be fine with China," he added. Trump had threatened to blow off the meeting, scheduled on the sidelines of the Apec meeting in South Korea, after trade tensions flared up again.
Trump: I foresee other countries in the Abrahamic Accords, I hope Saudi Arabia
The US president also commented on the Abraham Agreements, saying he expected them to be expanded soon and hoped that Saudi Arabia would join the pact that normalised diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab states. "I hope to see Saudi Arabia join, and I hope others join. I think when Saudi Arabia joins, they will all join," he said. Trump said he had had "some very good conversations" with states that had indicated their willingness to join the agreements. "I think they will all join very soon."
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the agreements in 2020, during Trump's first term in the White House, breaking a long-standing taboo and becoming the first Arab states to recognise Israel in a quarter of a century. Morocco and Sudan followed suit.
White House: if shutdown goes ahead Trump will escalate his actions
White House economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, told Fox Business today that President Donald Trump can be expected to escalate his actions if the shutdown of the US federal government continues beyond this weekend. Hassett did not specify what measures the president might take if no agreement is reached in Congress. The White House said last week that it had initiated layoffs throughout the US government, following up on Trump's threats. The shutdown began on 1 October.
