US Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs at “150% to 200%” on China if it were to “go into Taiwan,” the Wall Street Journal reported Friday (Oct. 18).
When asked whether he would use military force in response to a potential Chinese blockade of Taiwan, Trump said it wouldn’t be necessary because Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) respects him. “I wouldn’t have to, because he respects me and he knows I’m f— crazy,” Trump stated.
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump took an aggressive stance on China. He imposed multiple rounds of tariffs that triggered a trade war and affected the global economy, according to Reuters.
Trump also addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the interview, stating that the situation would not have occurred if he were still in office.
“I said to Putin, ‘Vladimir, we have a great relationship. … Vladimir, if you go after Ukraine, I am going to hit you so hard, you’re not even going to believe it. I’m going to hit you right in the middle of fricking Moscow.’”
Trump, who is running against the vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential election, plans to impose a comprehensive tariff of 10% to 20% on nearly all imported goods. Additionally, he proposed a tariff of more than 60% on Chinese products, claiming the measures would boost US manufacturing.
US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen referred to the idea of broad, non-targeted tariffs as a “deeply misguided” approach during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday (Oct.17). Yellen cautioned that such tariffs would increase costs for US households and undermine the competitiveness of US businesses.
Although Harris has criticized Trump’s tariff proposal as essentially a business tax, the Biden administration has not lifted the tariffs imposed during Trump’s presidency. When asked about this, Yellen explained that Washington expects Beijing to address issues like unfair competition, which have been the central focus of US trade actions.