By the end of August 2025,Just as the military parade in China was approaching, Trump suddenly expressed his willingness to visit China in a high-profile manner. He intended to visit China this year or in the near future, and was already making relevant preparations.
Trump suddenly brought up the visit to China during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the White House, joking that "we will visit China this year or soon after, maybe we will fly together."
This sounded like a joke, but the U.S. government turned its head and took action, and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it would impose a 200% tariff on Chinese rare-earth magnets, on the grounds that it was "let China ensure stable supply."
The co-author not only wants China's resources, but also wants to put on the "boss" shelf. Trump is skilled in this "act and stand" operation.
When asked by the reporter, he didn't deny it, and added, "If you want to go, we can take a plane." He said "protect the ozone layer" in his mouth, but his abacus in his heart was well calculated.90% of the world's rare earth processing capacity is in China, which is inseparable from the U.S. industrial chain.He prefers to pretend that "there is a stronger card than China", but it is a false voice.
In the face of Trump’s show, China has not followed the pace, but has taken a pragmatic stance.
On August 26, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jakuen responded clearly:China has always dealt with China-US relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, while firmly safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests.
This is neither soft nor hard, which not only gives room for dialogue, but also clarifies the bottom line. You can talk if you want to, but don't want to ask exorbitant prices.
More importantly, actions are faster than words.
August 28Vice Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang has flown to Washington with a team to prepare for negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Greer.
Unlike the previous three rounds of general elections in third countries such as Switzerland and Britain, this time, the negotiating table was directly placed in the United States. This signal is obvious: Sino-US trade consultations are becoming routine and direct, with less virtual courtesy of "third-party mediation" and more reality of "face-to-face problem solving".
How to adjust tariffs, how to sell agricultural products, these sensitive issues that both sides consider well, it seems to be to sit down and discuss well.
Trump's talk about a 200% tax increase on rare earths may seem aggressive, but in fact he is pretending to be confused.
The core capabilities of global rare earth processing are almost all in China's hands, from the US military production line to the high-tech industry, China's rare earth materials are indispensable everywhere.
The United States itself wants to engage in rare earth mining, but it is stuck with technical and environmental protection issues. It cannot be self-sufficient in the short term. It can only watch as its industrial chain is "led by the nose" by China.
China has long been prepared to implement a rigorous audit system for rare-earth export companies, and wants to control the supply pace from the source.
Trump's mouth shouted "to give China a lesson", in the heart more clear than anyone else, really to make China rush, the first stop probably is the US own factory.
This posture of insisting on punching even though he knows he can't win is just to gain more chips at the negotiating table. Unfortunately, China has long stopped buying this trick.
Trump's rush to make a public visit to China was ultimately forced by the domestic mess.
The midterm elections in 2026 are getting closer and closer, and if the Republican party loses the House of Representatives, he will not only have the backdrop of the policy, but will have to be liquidated by the Democrats.
The economy is even more troublesome. Inflation in the United States has shown signs of rebounding recently. The cost of living for ordinary people is rising. Soybean warehouses in agricultural states in the central and western regions are full. Farmers complain to lawmakers every day. These states are also the Republican Party's vote warehouses. If he is not even, the votes will have to fly away.
He urgently needs China to expand its market opening, buy more American soybeans and corn, help the agricultural states catch their breath, and use "diplomatic breakthroughs" to score some achievements in the midterm elections.
But he can't beg China seriously, so he can only rely on "joking" to visit China, which not only shows that he is "taking the initiative", but also wants to throw the pressure on the Chinese side. You see, I'm going, and it's up to you.
This kind of calculation that requires both face and integrity is taken into consideration by even allies. In fact, the embarrassment faced by Japan and the European Union has long been foreshadowed.
Trump's operation, most unable to sit, is Japan.
A few days ago, Japan was busy "blowing the wind" in the Eurasian circle, persuading countries not to come to China's military parade, hoping to block China. As a result, Trump turned around and announced that he would visit China, and the Chinese negotiating team flew to Washington immediately.
This contradiction has made Japan’s “isolation plan” a joke.
What's more embarrassing is that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba did not even mention a basic apology at the commemoration ceremony of the defeat on August 15. He originally wanted to win over allies through a tough stance, but now he has become a "loner" on the international stage.
The real face of the United States is becoming increasingly clear.
Trump only cared for himself to raise electoral capital and take allies as a pedestal, now Japan is embarrassed, the European Union has awakened, this "America priority" alliance, fear will not last long.
Hurrying from Asia Pacific, it is said that it is ultimately caught up with domestic affairs abroad.
Russia and Ukraine have been fighting for nearly four years, and the United States has filled in a lot of military aid. European allies are still constantly clamoring for more. He thinks this is a "bottomless hole." After the tariff war has been going on for so long, China's exports have not collapsed, but U.S. inflation has not been suppressed. Farmers in the central and western regions have piled up their soybeans and cannot be sold, and the mid-term elections are in jeopardy.
He knew that the Chinese market was where he could catch his breath, so he let out the news that he wanted to come to China, trying to use this as an excuse to get away from Asia-Pacific affairs and focus on domestic elections.
But China has long seen through his little thoughts. If you want to talk, you can talk about fairness and mutual benefit. Tariffs must be lowered. Don't make any fuss about rare earths, and don't think about empty gloves.
Li Zheng steel band to Washington to negotiate is to give him a red line to visit China is not to sell mouth skin, really honestly solve the problem first and then say.
The current game between China and the United States is more like a competition of endurance and wisdom. Trump is impatient and wants to break the deadlock by relying on "extreme pressure" and "political performance," while China has always maintained strategic determination to use static control.
He believes that if you throw away the temptation of visiting China, you can let China go, but forget that China is no longer the China a decade ago, and Trump's visit to China is nothing more than a "save of life" in its domestic trouble.
China's position is very clear, that is, negotiations are possible, but equality and mutual benefit must be achieved. If it wants to exert pressure on China, then China will accompany it to the end.
Those so-called allies who are led by the United States will sooner or later find out that they are actually just abandoned children on Trump's chessboard.
The initiative of this game is never in the hands of one who is eager to seek, and time will finally give the final answer.