WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s recent remarks targeting China and its allies mark a noticeable shift in tone. After months of avoiding direct criticism of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, Trump is no longer mincing his words.

The change has raised questions about whether Trump is signaling a new approach to managing the United States’ top rival.

On Sept. 5, Trump took aim at India and Russia in a Truth Social post, expressing frustration over their close alignment with Beijing.

“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China,” Trump said. “May they have a long and prosperous future together! President Donald J. Trump.”

A day earlier, Trump urged European leaders to stop buying Russian oil and to ramp up economic pressure on China, accusing Beijing of aiding Moscow’s war effort.

Trump has repeatedly criticized both China and India for buying sanctioned Russian oil. He recently imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports and has shown no intention of backing down despite ongoing dialogue with New Delhi.

Adam Savit, director for the China Policy Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, told The Epoch Times that Trump’s tougher stance represents a break from the softer approach of recent months, when the administration was pursuing trade negotiations with Beijing. Still, Savit said he believes that the sharper rhetoric reflects Trump’s negotiating style more than a substantive policy shift at this stage.

He noted that Trump’s latest criticism was directed primarily at India, reflecting frustration with the country’s growing ties with China.

India, which has traditionally confronted Beijing because of ongoing border disputes and economic tensions, is also part of the Quad—a security partnership with the United States, Japan, and Australia aimed at countering Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. If New Delhi leans further toward Beijing, Savit warned, it could mark a significant expansion of China’s influence within the BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

China–Russia Axis

“I’m not concerned at all,” Trump said. “We have the strongest military in the world by far, and they would never use their military on us, believe me. That would be the worst thing that could ever do.”

That same day, he told reporters in the Oval Office that Xi would ultimately be forced to make concessions, referring to the ongoing trade negotiations.

“China needs us much more than we need them,” Trump said.

Later that day, he accused Xi, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, of conspiring against the United States as they gathered for a military parade in Beijing to commemorate Japan’s surrender in World War II.

“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a message to Xi on Truth Social.

Pressed by reporters to clarify, Trump downplayed the significance of the three leaders’ meeting but suggested that he would reassess their ties with Washington in the coming weeks.

“I understood the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching,” Trump told reporters on Sept. 3, referring to the military parade. “My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two.”

In the months leading up to his shift in tone in messages, Trump often emphasized his good relationship with Xi and signaled plans to meet with the Chinese leader this year, without direct criticism.

According to Michael Walsh, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Trump has a history of making statements that seem contradictory, making it difficult to determine whether his recent comments signal a shift in his approach toward China.

“Part of it might be his negotiating style,” he told The Epoch Times, noting that trade talks may have required a more diplomatic tone, while his latest statements could be “a reflection of his true beliefs” about China.

On Aug. 25, Trump also said the United States had “much bigger and better cards” than China during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

His remark showed his ongoing frustration over trade talks, particularly Beijing’s decision to slow shipments of rare earth minerals as leverage against Washington.

“I don’t want to play those cards,” Trump said. “If I did, that would destroy China.”

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