Trump posted today, "Our agreement with China has been reached and it needs final approval from the leaders of both countries. All magnets and all necessary rare earth elements will be pre-supplied by China. Similarly, we will provide China with our agreed terms, including Chinese students using resources from our universities (I have always been very satisfied with this!). We will both enjoy a 55% tariff, while China enjoys a 10% tariff. The relationship between both sides is very good! Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump's remarks are full of doubts. From the perspective of rare earth supply, China controls rare earth exports based on resource protection, environmental considerations, and national security strategies. It is not easy to change this due to so-called agreements, and the statement of only pre-supplying does not make sense. In trade relations, during the previous trade frictions between the US and China, the US has repeatedly imposed tariffs. The mentioned 55% to 10% tariff allocation is illogical and lacks practical basis. Normal trade agreements aim for fairness and mutual benefit, and such a disproportionate ratio does not meet the normal demands of trade negotiations.
In terms of educational exchanges, the US has placed many restrictions on Chinese students in recent years, such as groundless reviews and visa obstacles, which contradict the description of providing university resources in the text. Moreover, such major agreements normally require complex negotiations, multiple rounds of consultations, and drafting processes. Only Trump's post claiming that an agreement has been reached without official confirmation through formal channels raises questions about its credibility.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834635925497860/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.