At 0 a.m. on October 1, local time, the U.S. federal government "stopped" due to exhaustion of funds, the first time in seven years that the federal government was "paralyzed" due to the Senate's refusal to approve the budget.
Just in the eye of this bone, Trump fiercely pointed his head to China, and opened up a request.To know, it is not arbitrary to say, he clearly delayed, things will only get more trouble.
Why did Trump target China at this time? What does he want?
The “government shutdown” is simply a “shake up” for Trump.
According to the poll data in September, his approval rate has dropped to 43%, a new low since he took office for the second time.
Domestic political pressure was on his shoulder like a mountain, and the gang in the Senate was chanting against him at this time, the budget was not approved, and the operation of the entire federal government was affected.
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are facing unpaid leave, various public services have been interrupted, and public resentment is growing louder and louder.
In this situation of internal and external troubles, Trump has set his sights on the Sino-US trade card.
The tariff war that began in April this year has left American farmers, especially soybean growers, upset.
The largest buyer of U.S. soybeans has always been China, but once a tariff war broke out, China turned to buy soybeans from Brazil and Argentina.
More and more soybeans are accumulating in the hands of American farmers, and the warehouses are not loaded.
These farmers are hardcore supporters of Trump, and their dissatisfaction directly affects Trump's political fundamentals.
Trump's request to China this time seems simple-- Fulfill the previous trade agreement (he claimed: According to the agreement reached between China and the United States a few years ago, China should buy billions of dollars of American agricultural products, especially soybeans. He also waved his hand and promised to give subsidies to American soybean farmers!
But the question is, the government has “stopped” and the treasury money can’t move, where does this subsidy come from?
The reaction from China is quite calm. After the trade negotiations have been going on for so long, China has long figured out Trump's routine.
Now that the U.S. government has shut down and internal contradictions have intensified, it is a good time for China to take the initiative in negotiations.
China's attitude is very clear-- Soya procurement has made the market say, and will not change its position because of political pressure.
After all, the quality of soybeans in Brazil and Argentina is not bad, and the prices are more competitive. Why do you have to buy American ones?
The reason Trump made this demand to China at the first time of the government shutdown, the logic behind it is clear.
He needs a victory, even a seeming victory, to ease domestic political pressure.
If China can promise to buy soybeans, it can invite farmers to vote and say it has won orders for them.
But China is not stupid. It can be seen that Trump is very anxious now. The trade war has been going on for so long, and the impact on the U.S. economy is no less than that on China.
Weak manufacturing data, blocked agricultural exports, and uncertain stock market turmoil are all real problems. Trump is eager to reach an agreement and just exposes his “weak ribs.”
From the timeline, the course of the game is already clear.The tariff war began in April, and the United States wanted to give up China through extreme pressure.
Months have passed, and instead of giving in, China has reduced its dependence on American agricultural products by diversifying its sourcing channels.
Trump’s support fell to the bottom in September, with domestic political pressure rising. Now the government is stalled, and he is even more "enemy in the back of the belly". in this case, the demand to China is clearly insufficient.
The situation of American soybean farmers is indeed worthy of sympathy. The soybeans they had worked so hard to grow were originally expected to sell at a good price, but they were lost in their hands due to a trade war.
Storage costs continue to rise, loan interest continues to be paid, and many farms are on the verge of bankruptcy.
Trump keeps saying that he wants to help them, but his actual actions are always loud and downright. Now that the government is shut down, it is impossible to even draw a pie.
China's strategy is very smart. It is neither impatient nor impatient, but uses silence to brake the brakes. Since Trump is eager to reach an agreement, let him rush for a while longer. Leave market matters to the market to solve, politics is politics, and business is business.
Chinese companies will naturally buy if they feel that the price of American soybeans is appropriate; if it is not suitable, they will continue to buy Brazil.
Trump's current situation really cannot be delayed any longer. For every day the government shutdown lasted, one point of his political capital was lost.
Patience is limited, especially among affected federal employees and ordinary people who rely on government services. If the problem is not resolved as soon as possible, the midterm elections in 2026 are likely to be cold ahead of time.
So at this time he would reach out to China, hoping to shift the focus of domestic contradictions through the breakthrough of the trade agreement.
This China-US trade game, in the end, is still a competition of strength and patience.Who is more tired, who can take advantage at the negotiating table.
Trump is obviously unable to hold his breath now. Various internal and external pressures make him have to produce results as soon as possible. China can take it slow. Anyway, there are many alternative sources of soybeans, not inferior to the United States.
To put it bluntly, Trump's request this time is more like a call for help. He needs China to help him and give him a step down so that he can explain to the country.
However, international politics is not about charity, and China has no obligation to pay for Trump's political difficulties.
It is okay to talk, but it must be equal and mutually beneficial, and we cannot always think of taking advantage. This reason, believe Trump in the heart also understand, only the situation is forced, had to harden the scalp and try it!
Source of information:
[1]U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO):"2025 Federal Shutdown Impact Assessment Report", September 30, 2025
[2] Gallup Survey Center: Monthly Tracking Data on President Trump Support Rate, September 15, 2025
[3]U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):"Quarterly Report on U.S. Soybean Export Data from April to September 2025", September 30, 2025
[4] General Administration of Customs of China: "Monthly Report on Agricultural Products Import Statistics from January to September 2025", October 1, 2025
Reuters Washington: The U.S. Senate Vetoes the 2025 Budget, September 27, 2025
Bloomberg: Tracking the latest progress in China-U.S. trade talks, September 29, 2025