Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich warned on Fox Business Wednesday about U.S.-China diplomacy and urged the Trump administration to treat every engagement with Beijing through a lens of deep skepticism.
China said it will attend the Switzerland meeting at the Trump administration’s request but vowed to firmly oppose U.S. tariff hikes and reject any pressure or coercion. During an appearance on “Kudlow,” Gingrich said China has a long track record of violating international agreements when it suits their strategic goals.
“I think they’re going to meet and agree that they should meet. There’s not going to be any big deal,” Gingrich said when asked about the meeting in Switzerland. “But look, Churchill used to say, ‘Jaw, jaw, jaw is better than war, war, war.’ So I’m perfectly happy to talk with the Chinese.”
Gingrich said that dialogue with China must be paired with relentless verification.
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“I think your key point is it’s not just trust but verify. It’s trust, but inspect, because you have to assume that to the degree they can get away with it they will cheat on every single agreement,” Gingrich said. (RELATED: Doug Burgum Warns Of ‘Real Energy Emergency’ That Will Permit China To Dominate US)
“You’ve got to design agreements where you can monitor them every day or you should expect to be cheated.”
President Donald Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days while announcing tariff hikes on Chinese exports to the U.S., he revealed in an April 9 Truth Social post, just a week after unveiling the new import duties. During Tuesday’s hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is actively negotiating with 17 key trading partners, but the administration has not talked to China.
As Trump ramps up tariffs to isolate China economically, Beijing is actively pursuing trade agreements around the world. In response to U.S. pressure, China has strengthened ties with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Europe, seeking to offset the impact of tariffs that have reached as high as 245% on certain goods.
Vietnam and Malaysia deepened trade ties with China on Monday, as both nations play key roles in Beijing’s export strategy amid rising U.S. tariffs. Vietnam alone received $135 billion in Chinese goods last year and signed a new deal during Xi Jinping’s visit, while Malaysia continues to supply most of China’s crude oil and imported $65.5 billion worth of Chinese goods.
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