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Trump wants to isolate China with tariffs: pressure on partners to limit Beijing

US administration proposes concessions on tariffs in exchange for measures against China. Objective: to reduce Chinese economic influence and strengthen the US position in global negotiations

The Trump administration aims to use tariff negotiations with more than 70 countries to economically isolate China. The Wall Street Journal reports this, citing sources close to the talks, according to which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has proposed offering trade concessions to those partners willing to limit Chinese involvement in their economies.

The US reportedly intends to ask various countries to ban the transit of Chinese goods through their territories, prevent the establishment of Chinese companies that evade US tariffs, and reduce the absorption of cheap Chinese industrial goods. The aim is to weaken Beijing’s economic clout and force it to negotiate with Washington from a position of disadvantage.

Bessent’s plan was discussed at a meeting on 6 April at Mar-a-Lago, where it won the approval of President Donald Trump. The president himself hinted at the strategy in an interview with broadcaster Fox Noticias, talking about the possibility of asking partners to choose between the US and China.

The requests, according to the Wall Street Journal, will vary from country to country depending on their degree of interdependence with the Chinese economy. In some cases these will be drastic measures, in others simple logistical or regulatory restrictions.

The plan has gained growing support within the administration, where the possibility of expelling the shares of Chinese companies from US stock exchanges is also being discussed. The debate on the severity and extent of the new tariff measures is still open, but the strategic line proposed by Bessent seems to be well defined: to reduce Chinese penetration of global markets in order to strengthen the American position ahead of possible talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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