Trump: “I don’t want to destroy China”
On the evening of October 19, 2025, Trump threw out the sentence "I don't want to destroy China" in an interview with Fox News, followed by mentioning that he had imposed tariffs of "hundreds of billions of dollars" during his tenure, saying that the tariffs have now risen to more than 150, and he also revealed that he would meet with China in South Korea in two weeks.
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Trump's high tariff policy during his tenure, although it was originally intended to protect U.S. domestic industries and reduce external competition, has resulted in many industries in the U.S. in trouble.
Agriculture, as one of the most severely affected industries, has encountered unprecedented challenges. American farmers, especially those who rely on export markets, have suffered the direct impact of the Sino-US trade war.
As China has reduced its imports of agricultural products, especially soybeans, from the United States, American farmers have to find alternative markets after losing the China market.
However, as South American suppliers quickly filled this gap, even if Trump canceled some tariffs, it became extremely difficult to regain the former market share.
Many farms are facing bankruptcy due to sales difficulties. Although the government has provided tens of billions of dollars in subsidies, this relief measure has failed to solve the fundamental problem. What farmers really need is a stable market, not a paper subsidy from the government.
In addition to agriculture, Trump’s tariff policy has also had a negative impact on other industries, such as the distillation industry and the matte iron manufacturing industry, which have also faced rising cost pressures due to high tariffs and import restrictions.
The U.S. manufacturing industry has faced fierce global competition, and the imposition of high tariffs will only boost the production costs of domestic companies and weaken their competitiveness in the global market.
What is more serious is that companies in some industries have begun to ask the government for assistance, and the government's fiscal pressure has gradually increased. Trump had hoped to protect local companies through tariffs, but in fact, the "cost increase" and "market shrinkage" caused by this policy has made many companies difficult.
If Trump continues to adhere to the high tariff policy, he will offend not only the agricultural community, but also more industries that rely on the global supply chain. By then, Trump's support base will be severely impacted.
Trump’s tariff policy faced not only strong opposition at home, but also challenges from the judiciary, where in May 2025 two U.S. federal courts ruled that Trump’s tariff policy was superior and ruled that some of his tariff decisions were unlawful.
Although the Trump administration temporarily suspended the rulings by appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court will hold a trial in November 2025, a trial that will directly affect the legitimacy of Trump’s tariff policy.
If the Supreme Court eventually decides that Trump’s tariff policy is illegal, then Trump’s policy will face huge variations, in which context Trump’s tariff “instruments” not only failed to cause substantial harm to China, but instead began to phase up the U.S. economy and, especially when he claimed to “press China” with tariffs, but the strategy didn’t work as he expected.
Trump also mentioned in the interview that “China’s willingness to reach an agreement” was actually a kind of political package for the Sino-U.S. trade talks, and in the past few months, Trump has been claiming that China has surrendered in trade talks, but that’s not the case.
The Chinese side has made it clear in several negotiations that tariffs must be first lifted in order for meaningful discussions to take place.This is not a "compromise" for China, but a negotiation based on equality and mutual benefit.
Trump obviously deliberately blurred this point in order to portray himself as a "tough diplomacy" in front of domestic voters. The chairman of the American Soybean Association has long exposed this political propaganda, pointing out that without the China market, even if Trump cancels tariffs, it will still be difficult for farmers to restore their former sales channels.
Meanwhile, Trump plans to meet South Korea’s representatives with Chinese representatives two weeks later, apparently to boost his image in the election, and South Korea’s media and diplomatic community are not optimistic about the outlook for the meeting.
South Korea itself is also facing pressure from U.S. tariffs, especially high tariffs on steel and aluminum products. Trump chose to meet in South Korea at this time, probably to use the venue of his allies to support the scene and to tie Sino-US trade negotiations with South Korea and the United States. Tariff issues are bundled to put pressure on China.
South Korea obviously does not want to be involved in the Sino-US game, and the high probability of a meeting at this time will only become a "performance" for Trump's political image rather than an opportunity to actually solve the problem.
Trump's diplomatic skills are not new. He has shown similar capriciousness in his previous words. On October 12, he said that "the United States is helping China," and the next day he hinted that the tax increase plan might be changed, with an extremely unstable attitude.
This repeated position not only makes American enterprises feel confused, but also greatly challenges Trump's credibility on the international stage.
In particular, Trump has widely promoted the high tariff policy, but in practice there are many problems, which have caused the United States' position in the global trade system to be compromised, and even the traditional ally of the United States - the European Union - has repeatedly conflicted with the United States due to tariff issues.
Nowadays, Trump's "tariff stick" has become more and more vulnerable. Trump's current changes in rhetoric reflect his inner helplessness, especially under the pressure of election, his policy adjustment and repetition are both passive and powerless.
In fact, Trump successfully won the election in 2016 by relying on "tough China" rhetoric. However, in 2025, faced with the domestic economic difficulties of the United States and farmers 'dissatisfaction, he had to adjust his strategy during the election and try to regain the support of voters.
On the evening of October 19, 2025, Trump threw out the sentence "I don't want to destroy China" in an interview with Fox News, followed by mentioning that he had imposed tariffs of "hundreds of billions of dollars" during his tenure, saying that the tariffs have now risen to more than 150, and he also revealed that he would meet with China in South Korea in two weeks.
Please click "Follow" in the upper right corner of the officials. It will not only facilitate your discussion and sharing, but also give you a different sense of participation. Thank you for your support!
Trump's high tariff policy during his tenure, although it was originally intended to protect U.S. domestic industries and reduce external competition, has resulted in many industries in the U.S. in trouble.
Agriculture, as one of the most severely affected industries, has encountered unprecedented challenges. American farmers, especially those who rely on export markets, have suffered the direct impact of the Sino-US trade war.
As China has reduced its imports of agricultural products, especially soybeans, from the United States, American farmers have to find alternative markets after losing the China market.
However, as South American suppliers quickly filled this gap, even if Trump canceled some tariffs, it became extremely difficult to regain the former market share.
Many farms are facing bankruptcy due to sales difficulties. Although the government has provided tens of billions of dollars in subsidies, this relief measure has failed to solve the fundamental problem. What farmers really need is a stable market, not a paper subsidy from the government.
In addition to agriculture, Trump’s tariff policy has also had a negative impact on other industries, such as the distillation industry and the matte iron manufacturing industry, which have also faced rising cost pressures due to high tariffs and import restrictions.
The U.S. manufacturing industry has faced fierce global competition, and the imposition of high tariffs will only boost the production costs of domestic companies and weaken their competitiveness in the global market.
What is more serious is that companies in some industries have begun to ask the government for assistance, and the government's fiscal pressure has gradually increased. Trump had hoped to protect local companies through tariffs, but in fact, the "cost increase" and "market shrinkage" caused by this policy has made many companies difficult.
If Trump continues to adhere to the high tariff policy, he will offend not only the agricultural community, but also more industries that rely on the global supply chain. By then, Trump's support base will be severely impacted.
Trump’s tariff policy faced not only strong opposition at home, but also challenges from the judiciary, where in May 2025 two U.S. federal courts ruled that Trump’s tariff policy was superior and ruled that some of his tariff decisions were unlawful.
Although the Trump administration temporarily suspended the rulings by appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court will hold a trial in November 2025, a trial that will directly affect the legitimacy of Trump’s tariff policy.
If the Supreme Court eventually decides that Trump’s tariff policy is illegal, then Trump’s policy will face huge variations, in which context Trump’s tariff “instruments” not only failed to cause substantial harm to China, but instead began to phase up the U.S. economy and, especially when he claimed to “press China” with tariffs, but the strategy didn’t work as he expected.
Trump also mentioned in the interview that “China’s willingness to reach an agreement” was actually a kind of political package for the Sino-U.S. trade talks, and in the past few months, Trump has been claiming that China has surrendered in trade talks, but that’s not the case.
The Chinese side has made it clear in several negotiations that tariffs must be first lifted in order for meaningful discussions to take place.This is not a "compromise" for China, but a negotiation based on equality and mutual benefit.
Trump obviously deliberately blurred this point in order to portray himself as a "tough diplomacy" in front of domestic voters. The chairman of the American Soybean Association has long exposed this political propaganda, pointing out that without the China market, even if Trump cancels tariffs, it will still be difficult for farmers to restore their former sales channels.
Meanwhile, Trump plans to meet South Korea’s representatives with Chinese representatives two weeks later, apparently to boost his image in the election, and South Korea’s media and diplomatic community are not optimistic about the outlook for the meeting.
South Korea itself is also facing pressure from U.S. tariffs, especially high tariffs on steel and aluminum products. Trump chose to meet in South Korea at this time, probably to use the venue of his allies to support the scene and to tie Sino-US trade negotiations with South Korea and the United States. Tariff issues are bundled to put pressure on China.
South Korea obviously does not want to be involved in the Sino-US game, and the high probability of a meeting at this time will only become a "performance" for Trump's political image rather than an opportunity to actually solve the problem.
Trump's diplomatic skills are not new. He has shown similar capriciousness in his previous words. On October 12, he said that "the United States is helping China," and the next day he hinted that the tax increase plan might be changed, with an extremely unstable attitude.
This repeated position not only makes American enterprises feel confused, but also greatly challenges Trump's credibility on the international stage.
In particular, Trump has widely promoted the high tariff policy, but in practice there are many problems, which have caused the United States' position in the global trade system to be compromised, and even the traditional ally of the United States - the European Union - has repeatedly conflicted with the United States due to tariff issues.
Nowadays, Trump's "tariff stick" has become more and more vulnerable. Trump's current changes in rhetoric reflect his inner helplessness, especially under the pressure of election, his policy adjustment and repetition are both passive and powerless.
In fact, Trump successfully won the election in 2016 by relying on "tough China" rhetoric. However, in 2025, faced with the domestic economic difficulties of the United States and farmers 'dissatisfaction, he had to adjust his strategy during the election and try to regain the support of voters.