Epoch Times - Lee Smith Reveals What Trump Told Him About Xi Jinping and the CCP
Aired: 2025-10-18
Duration: 02:22


=== Donald Trump's Trade Standoff (02:22) ===

[00:00:00]  Donald Trump wanted an end to currency manipulation.
[00:00:04]  He wanted the Chinese to stop stealing American intellectual property when American companies were in China.
[00:00:10]  He wanted to stop the forced transfers of tech and a whole bunch of other things, which is just China cheating.
[00:00:17]  And they said, no, we can't do that.
[00:00:20]  And why?
[00:00:20]  It's a communist party.
[00:00:22]  So I think that during that first term, Donald Trump understood what that industrial policy was about, right?
[00:00:29]  They're not in the global system to play fair.
[00:00:32]  They're not in the global system because they believe in balance of powers.
[00:00:37]  They believe in dominating the system.
[00:00:39]  I think it's important for us to realize this.
[00:00:41]  He does not trust Xi Jinping.
[00:00:42]  He does not trust the Chinese Communist Party.
[00:00:45]  Well, I'm going to now read, this is the perfect moment to read the president's observation that you cataloged in your book through your interview with him.
[00:00:54]  So this is what he said.
[00:00:56]  And this is looking at that precise trade deal that you mentioned, right?
[00:01:00]  He said, I think you have some very powerful forces in China.
[00:01:04]  President Xi is a very smart and powerful man, but you have other forces that are strong.
[00:01:09]  I saw it firsthand.
[00:01:11]  He viewed my relationship with him and my position as president as very important.
[00:01:15]  They were very embarrassed when they said this to us because this was like having a deal ready to be signed and the deal was virtually ready to be signed.
[00:01:22]  And then they withdrew it.
[00:01:24]  And I believe that they had some additional forces in China that did not want to.
[00:01:29]  I have no doubt in my mind, but that deal didn't happen.
[00:01:32]  So this is incredibly interesting because there was this agreement, verbal agreement from Xi, yet the deal was withdrawn.
[00:01:42]  And then this sort of second highly watered down version of a deal came through.
[00:01:48]  Well, Jan, I'm really glad you picked that out because I think it's a really important thing and really fascinating because it gives an insight into what Donald Trump not only thinks about Xi, but how Donald Trump is trying to position Xi.
[00:02:01]  And look at where he is right now with the tariffs and look at what he's talking about.
[00:02:05]  I mean, I mean, 100% tariffs.
[00:02:07]  I mean, this is astonishing, right?
[00:02:09]  So Donald Trump is actually fighting it and he understands what it means.
[00:02:14]  Again, I'm certain that he understands what he's asking for is something that the Chinese Communist Party cannot do.