China appears to be getting "cold feet" in its trade negotiations with the U.S., prompting the White House's promise to raise tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, a leading Republican senator said Tuesday.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Fox News said he's spoken with the team conducting talks with the Chinese.
President Donald Trump "indicated that … the Chinese were starting to get cold feet and move away a little bit from some of the things they agreed upon and he felt it was necessary to take a stronger position relative to what we have so far," said Thune, the Senate majority whip.
"The president realizes that to get this deal done, to get China to end some of the trade abuses that have been occurring, they've got to take a hard line. That's what he is doing and, hopefully, it will have the desired effect."
Trump said the U.S. will raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese-made goods, from 10% to 25%, on Friday after accusing China of backpedaling from earlier promises it made.
Thune said a trade war between the two global powers is not the most ideal situation to be in, but he believes the tariffs are necessary in order for a deal to be struck.
"I do think this kind of leverage is what the president needs to get a good deal," he said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.