“We’re at 157 percent tariff for them. I don’t think that’s sustainable for them,” Trump said.
“They want to get that down, and we want certain things from them,” he added.
Trump is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea next week.
Trump has also threatened to impose an extra 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods from November if China does not roll back its tightened restrictions on its rare earths exports.
Asked what are the odds that he would press ahead with that extra 100 percent tariff, Trump replied: “I don’t know. I have no odds. I don’t think they would want that. It would not be good for them.”
Trump will also address China’s purchases of Russian oil in the context of Moscow’s ongoing illegal war in Ukraine.
“I’d love China to help us out with Russia,” he said. “We put very big sanctions on Russia. I think those sanctions are going to be very biting, very strong; but I’d like to see China help us out.”