President Xi Jinping’s diplomats are fanning out across the world with a clear message for countries cutting deals with Donald Trump: The U.S. is a bully that can’t be trusted.
Chinese officials are racing to turn foreign governments against the U.S. inside a 90-day window Trump has granted all nations — except China — to strike trade deals during a tariff reprieve. Once those pacts are in place, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he wants U.S. allies to "approach China as a group,” giving his side more leverage in negotiations.
While U.S. allies from South Korea to the European Union rely on Washington for security and have incentive to appease Trump economically, China is approaching the tariff battle on a more equal footing. Beijing has devoted years since Trump’s last trade war to weaning its economy off many U.S. exports, and has the world’s largest military by number of active soldiers.
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