Donald Trump says he would be ready to “ decouple ” from China in his second term

President Donald Trump has said he is open to the possibility of “ decoupling ” China in his second term if they “ don’t treat us well ” as he doubled down on his attacks that if his rival Joe Biden would win the election, Beijing would ‘own’ our country. ‘

“ We were doing better than we’ve ever done with China, and I was ready to rock and roll, and then we were hit by this damn situation, ” the president said in an interview with “ Fox News Channel’s “ The Next Revolution ”. aired Sunday evening.

He said he was open to the possibility of “decoupling” from China during his second term.

“Well, it’s something that if they don’t treat us right, I definitely would, I definitely would,” he said.

Trump’s relations with China and its President Xi Jinping have seen ups and downs as the two countries struggle to secure a trade deal.

After two years of wrangling and tit-for-tat in lifting hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs on each other’s products, the two nations are still stuck in the first phase of negotiations.

The coronavirus pandemic has further worsened relations.

“ I don’t want to set the world on fire right now, ” Trump said in the interview as he continued to hit Beijing.

President Trump also complained about U.S. intelligence reports that China was trying to sway the November election in Biden’s favor. The agencies also said Russia was working for Trump.

“I am the only one to have faced China. And you’ve seen the intelligence reports where they say China is working hard to get Joe Biden elected. If he is elected, China will own our country, ”the president accused.

Trump also reiterated his accusation that Hunter Biden did billions of dollars in work with China when his father was vice president.

“China owns Joe Biden. Her son received a billion and a half dollars. His son with no experience, no intelligence, nothing, never did, not just Ukraine, he received hundreds of thousands of dollars of money from Ukraine and the initial payment, then with China he walks with a billion and a half dollars in fees. . It’s ridiculous, ” Trump said.

Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of BHR, a Chinese stock company, which was trying to raise a financial stake of $ 1.5 billion – a figure the president clung to to accuse Hunter Biden of financial gain staff.

Hunter Biden told ABC News in an interview last year that he didn’t make any money from this job.

‘No. Certainly not 1.5 billion, ”he said.

But he wouldn’t say how much money he made.

“Listen, I’m a private citizen,” he said. “ One thing I don’t have to do is sit here and open my kimono depending on how much money I’m making or making or making or not. But everything has been reported.

Trump, meanwhile, continued his tirade against China.

“They own Joe Biden. They own it and they want me to lose so much, ”he said.

The president’s interview aired the day before the Republican National Convention – where he will be officially nominated as the GOP presidential candidate – begins.

Polls show Biden to top their contest, 7.6% over the RealClearPolitics average.