Taipei [Taiwan], October 19 : US Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs of "150 per cent to 200 per cent" on China if the country takes military action against Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.
In a recent interview, Trump was asked whether he would consider military force in response to a potential Chinese blockade of Taiwan. He asserted that such action would not be necessary, claiming that Chinese President Xi Jinping respects him, stating, "I wouldn't have to, because he respects me and he knows I'm f crazy."
Trump, who served as President from 2017 to 2021, previously adopted a tough stance against China, implementing multiple rounds of tariffs that sparked a trade war and had widespread implications for the global economy.
In the same interview, Trump addressed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that Russia's invasion would not have happened if he were still in office. "I said to Putin, 'Vladimir, we have a great relationship. Vladimir, if you go after Ukraine, I am going to hit you so hard, you're not even going to believe it. I'm going to hit you right in the middle of fricking Moscow,'" he remarked, reported Taiwan News.
As he runs against Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, Trump has proposed a broad tariff of 10 per cent to 20 per cent on nearly all imported goods, with a particular focus on China, suggesting a tariff exceeding 60 per cent on Chinese products.
He contends that these measures would stimulate US manufacturing, reported Taiwan News.
US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen described Trump's idea of sweeping tariffs as a "deeply misguided" approach in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, October 17.
Yellen warned that broad tariffs would likely raise costs for American families and diminish the competitiveness of US businesses.
While Harris has labelled Trump's tariff proposal as a de facto business tax, the Biden administration has yet to lift the tariffs instituted during Trump's presidency. Yellen noted that the administration anticipates Beijing will address key issues like unfair competition, which have been central to US trade policy.
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