Trump: "I'm close with Xi Jinping, but if Taiwan is invaded, I'll impose a 200% tariff"

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, attracted attention for stating in an interview with foreign media before the presidential election that he would impose tariffs of up to 200% if China invades Taiwan. This is because changes in relations between the U.S. and major countries are expected following Trump's election victory.

Yonhap News

In an interview with foreign media on the 18th of last month, President-elect Trump described persuading President Xi regarding the Taiwan issue as "very easy."

He said, "I have a very strong relationship with him (President Xi)," adding, "I don't want to call him a friend or act like a fool, but I got along well with him." He continued, "I would say, 'If (China) goes into Taiwan, I will impose taxes,'" clarifying, "That means tariffs of 150 to 200%."

The interview also included remarks about Russian President Putin. Former President Trump said, "I told Vladimir, 'If you attack Ukraine, I will hit you unbelievably hard. I will hit you right in the middle of damn Moscow.'" He added, "'We're friends. I don't want to do this, but I have no choice,'" and said, "He said, 'No,' and I said again, 'You will be hit really hard.'"

Meanwhile, regarding Trump's manner of speaking, foreign media noted, "Those who criticize Trump point to his mental decline," but "there were no signs of that in this interview, and in 2024, Trump appears more confident and clearly better informed about policies compared to 2015." They explained, "His way of speaking can confuse listeners, but it was the same nine years ago."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.