China is itching for a trade deal because it 'can't lose 3 million jobs,' Trump says


President Trump has nothing but compliments for China's President Xi Jinping — at least today.
In a Monday press conference following the end of the G7 summit, Trump discussed his ongoing trade war with China, touching on the increased tariffs both countries levied on each other on Friday. After this many taxes, China "want[s] to make a deal" and doesn't "have a choice," Trump said, because Xi "can't lose three million jobs in a short period of time."
Yet as The Washington Post's Aaron Blake notes, while three million jobs would be a huge hit for America's 160-million-person workforce, it's more of a blink for China's 750 million workers. Still, Trump remained convinced that a "brilliant leader" like Xi wouldn't let the continued conflict "break down the Chinese system of trade." Trump then pivoted to slam China for the apparent $500 billion trade deficit it has held over the U.S. for "many many years," which, as CNN's Daniel Dale points out, is not even close to a correct number.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump went on to pepper Xi with more compliments, calling him a "tough guy" who he respects. And when he was asked why he calls Xi a friend one day and an enemy the next, he quickly said "that's the way I negotiate. It's done very well for me over the years."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders