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Donald Trump has said that if he returns to the White House China would not dare provoke him because President Xi Jinping knows the Republican is “crazy”.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal\u2019s editorial board, Trump said that if elected president next month, he would impose tariffs on China if it sought to blockade Taiwan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say: if you go into Taiwan, I\u2019m sorry to do this, I\u2019m going to tax you at 150% to 200%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On the campaign trail, the Republican candidate has argued that America\u2019s adversaries would not act against US interests under a new Trump presidency because they would fear a forceful, even unpredictable, response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He told the Wall Street Journal\u2019s editorial board he would not have to use military force to prevent a blockade of Taiwan, because President Xi \u201crespects me and he knows I\u2019m [expletive] crazy\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a very strong relationship with him,\u201d Trump said of President Xi. \u201cHe was actually a really good, I don\u2019t want to say friend – I don\u2019t want to act foolish, \u2018he was my friend\u2019 – but I got along with him great.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very fierce person,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n
The former president also cast his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a positive light, saying: \u201cI got along with him great.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Trump – who has previously been criticised for praising the Russian leader – said he had threatened him not to invade Ukraine.<\/p>\n
He told the Journal that he said to Putin: \u201c’I\u2019m going to hit you right in the middle of fricking Moscow.\u2019 I said, \u2018We\u2019re friends. I don\u2019t want to do it, but I have no choice.\u2019 He goes, \u2018No way.\u2019 I said, \u2018Way.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018You\u2019re going to be hit so hard, and I\u2019m going to take those [expletive] domes right off your head.\u2019 Because, you know, he lives under the domes.\u201d<\/p>\n
With his vows to wage trade wars and end US involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump has branded his foreign policy America First, though detractors say it is isolationist.<\/p>\n
The Republican\u2019s choice of JD Vance as his running mate alarmed Ukraine\u2019s allies, as the Ohio senator staunchly opposes sending any more US aid to the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n