‘So much for Mr Nice Guy’: Trump blasts China for 'violating' trade deal he says saved Beijing 'grave economic danger'

President Donald Trump on Friday (May 30) accused China of breaking a recent trade agreement that he claimed was made to save Beijing from serious economic collapse.

Writing on his platform, Truth Social, Trump said, “Two weeks ago China was in grave economic danger! The very high Tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to TRADE into the United States marketplace which is, by far, number one in the World.”

He went on to say that the US had effectively gone “COLD TURKEY with China” and the impact on Beijing was dramatic. According to Trump, “Many factories closed and there was, to put it mildly, ‘civil unrest.’ I saw what was happening and didn’t like it, for them, not for us.”

Trump claims he rushed to cut a deal to prevent collapse

Trump said he decided to make a quick agreement with China to avoid what he described as a worsening situation. “I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation, and I didn’t want to see that happen,” he said.

“Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilised and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!!” Trump added.

'Mr Nice Guy' no more: Trump says China broke the deal

Trump accused China of failing to honour the terms of the agreement, saying, “The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”

Earlier this month, both countries agreed to lower their tariffs, the US dropped its rate on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China lowered its tariffs on American products from 125% to 10%.

US officials admit trade talks have stalled

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admitted on Thursday that discussions with China had hit a wall. Speaking to Fox News’s Bret Baier, Bessent said trade negotiations were “a bit stalled.” He also mentioned that there could be a call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near future.

Trump had previously said that without the quick trade deal, China would have suffered more as the trade war escalated.

Courts rule against Trump tariffs, but some still on hold

A court ruling on Wednesday found that Trump did not have unilateral power under emergency laws to impose tariffs on countries like China, Mexico, and Canada, particularly when aimed at stopping fentanyl. That decision was temporarily overturned by an appeal court, allowing the tariffs to continue for now.

However, many of the tariffs remain on hold due to a separate federal court ruling issued in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.