Trump says ‘would rather not impose tariffs on China’

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said that he prefers not to impose tariffs on China, marking a shift from the threatening tone he had adopted since the start of his election campaign.

In an interview with Fox News on Jan. 23, Trump explained that while he would prefer not to have to impose tariffs on China, his tariff threats have “tremendous power” over China.

This comes after Trump threatened on his second day in office to impose 10% tariffs on China starting Feb. 1, citing the entry of fentanyl into the United States.

In a virtual interview at the World Economic Forum, Trump said that he has “always had a great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and looks forward to finding common ground with China.

"All we want is fairness; we just want a level playing field. But I like President Xi very much," he added.