WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he has canceled his planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Both leaders were expected to meet during Trump’s visit to South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month.
“I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He accused Beijing of taking a hostile and unprecedented step by sending letters to countries around the world announcing new export controls on rare earth elements and other key materials. He vowed to respond with countermeasures, including substantial tariff increases and additional actions.
“Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China,” Trump wrote.
Trump said Beijing’s move would clog the global markets and create serious challenges for nearly every country, including China.
He added that several countries voiced anger over Beijing’s “trade hostility,” a move that also surprised the United States, given the positive trade talks over the past six months.
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“I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right!” Trump said.
Trump said China was holding the world captive by building a monopoly position over key materials like magnets and other elements, calling Beijing’s actions “sinister and hostile.”
The United States holds even stronger monopoly positions than China but has avoided using them until now, he said.
“Things that were routine are no longer routine at all. I have not spoken to President Xi because there was no reason to do so,” he said.
Trump said that there is no need to meet with Xi because the Chinese letters were “inappropriate.”
The timing of China’s letters was particularly inappropriate, Trump added, coming on the day peace was finally achieved in the Middle East.
Source:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-cancels-meeting-with-chinese-leader-xi-5927613