Just days after claiming there was “no reason” to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump has confirmed a meeting with Xi in two weeks, hinting at a potential easing of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Trump, who recently imposed a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, admitted on Friday that such a measure would be unsustainable over the long term.

Speaking to Fox Business, Trump said, “It’s not sustainable, but that’s what the number is.” “They forced me to do that.”

The US President expressed optimism about US-China relations, saying he expects a positive outcome from his upcoming meeting with Xi. “I think things will be fine with China,” Trump said. “We’re going to meet in two weeks.”

The remarks come after a tense period in US-China relations. Last week, Trump accused Beijing of attempting to “hold the world captive” through new export controls on rare earth minerals — essential for electric vehicles, semiconductors and defence systems. Labelling the move “sinister and hostile,” he threatened broad trade measures and said there was “no reason” to meet Xi at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump said, “There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the world ‘captive’, but that seems to have been their plan to quite some time – until now!”

He further called the restrictions a “real surprise” given what he described as “very good” relationship with China in recent months.

Soon after, Beijing responded sharply to Trump’s tariff move, accusing Washington of ‘arbitrary double standards’ and warning of countermeasures. China’s Commerce Ministry, in a statement said that the US move “severely harms China’s interests and undermines the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks.”

“China does not want to fight, but is not afraid to fight,” the ministry said, describing Washington’s 100% tariff plan as a “classic case of double standards.”