Bessent, Chinese vice premier to meet to try to defuse U.S. tariff hike

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

66% : Trump also confirmed he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks in South Korea and expressed admiration for the Chinese leader.
54% : Bessent said on X the two officials "engaged in frank and detailed discussions regarding trade between the United States and China.
54% : It also urged the U.S. to roll back measures that breach non-discrimination rules and align its industrial and security policies with WTO obligations.
50% : Trump blamed Beijing for the latest impasse, a dispute over China's sweeping new export restrictions on rare-earth minerals and magnets.
50% : A meeting in Malaysia would shift the venue to a Southeast Asian exporter that trades heavily with both China and the U.S. and whose goods are now subject to a 19% duty imposed by Trump.
50% : Trump earlier on Friday blamed Beijing for the latest impasse, a dispute over China's sweeping new export restrictions on rare-earth minerals and magnets.
50% : Asked whether such a high tariff was sustainable and what that might do to the U.S. economy, Trump replied: "It's not sustainable, but that's what the number is." "They forced me to do that," he said in an interview with Fox Business Network that was broadcast on Friday.
50% : Trump also has threatened to impose new U.S. export controls that would halt supplies of "any and all critical software.
50% : It's got to be fair," Trump said on FBN's "Mornings with Maria," which was taped on Thursday.
50% : Later, as he was preparing to have lunch at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss efforts to end its war with Russia, Trump said: "China wants to talk, and we like talking to China." The softening in tone and affirmation of his intent to meet with Xi helped stem Wall Street's early losses on Friday.
50% : But tensions continued to run high, even as Trump and Xi prepared to meet.

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