President Donald Trump has identified rare earths, fentanyl, and soybeans as the United States’ top concerns with China, setting the stage for renewed trade negotiations this week.
His remarks come as a fragile trade truce between the two economic powers nears expiration and tensions threaten to flare once again.
“I don’t want them to play the rare earth game with us,” Trump said on Air Force One on Sunday, as he returned to Washington from Florida.
His comments follow recent threats to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese shipments, after Beijing vowed to tighten control over exports of rare earth minerals — materials critical to advanced manufacturing and defence technologies.
Trump also reiterated his demand that China “stop with the fentanyl,” blaming Beijing for failing to halt the export of the drug and its precursor chemicals, which he has said contribute to the opioid crisis in the United States.
A third priority, he said, was ensuring that China resumes large-scale soybean purchases from American farmers.
The three issues, he added, were “very, you know, normal things.”
US-China trade talks planned in Malaysia
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the US and China will hold discussions later this week in Malaysia, following his virtual meeting on Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Chinese state media described that exchange as a constructive dialogue.
The planned meeting comes after a period of renewed volatility in the relationship.
A little over a week ago, Trump suggested he might cancel his first in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since returning to office, angered by Beijing’s move to impose broader controls on rare earth exports.
He also announced a 100% import surtax on Chinese goods, set to take effect on November 1.
The tariff threat has cast uncertainty over the current trade truce, which expires on November 10 unless extended.
Recent weeks have seen tensions escalate after Washington expanded certain technology restrictions and proposed new levies on Chinese ships entering US ports.
China responded with tighter export controls on critical materials, deepening the standoff.
Trump tariffs “not sustainable”
In a Fox News interview last week, Trump said the proposed tariff increase on Chinese goods was “not sustainable”, though “it could stand.”
Despite the rhetoric, he insisted his relationship with Xi remained strong and confirmed that a meeting between the two leaders is expected to take place in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month.
“I think we’re going to be fine with China, but we have to have a fair deal. It’s got to be fair,” Trump said.
Soybeans have become a central pressure point in the ongoing trade dispute.
China, once the largest buyer of US soybeans, purchased roughly $12.6 billion worth last year but has made no purchases so far this year, turning instead to South American suppliers.
The disruption has left many US farmers struggling with unsold stock and weaker prices, a growing political concern for the White House as federal aid remains delayed by the government shutdown.
In August, Trump called on China to quadruple its soybean imports, and last week he threatened to halt imports of Chinese cooking oil, accusing Beijing of “causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers.”
The fentanyl issue, another long-standing flashpoint, has also complicated the diplomatic calculus.
Earlier this year, Trump imposed a 20% tariff on all Chinese goods in response to fentanyl inflows.
While Beijing later tightened controls on two key precursor chemicals, Chinese officials have maintained that the US must address its domestic demand problem.
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