President Donald Trump has made a statement that has sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C.
On Friday, the president announced that trade discussions would take place between the United States and China on Monday in London.
“I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will convene in London on Monday, June 9, 2025, with Chinese Representatives regarding the Trade Deal. The meeting is expected to be very productive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he stated.
This announcement followed a conversation the president had with Chinese President Xi Jinping just a day prior.
“I just finished a very constructive phone call with President Xi of China, where we discussed some of the complexities of our recently established and agreed-upon Trade Deal,” he remarked after the call, which lasted approximately an hour and a half, adding that it “resulted in a very favorable outcome for both countries.”
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, the president characterized the Chinese leader as “very tough.”
“I have always liked President XI of China, and I always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH!!!” he expressed.
“I struck a QUICK DEAL with China to prevent what I believed could be a very detrimental situation, and I wanted to avert that outcome. Thanks to this agreement, everything quickly returned to normal, and China resumed business as usual. Everyone was pleased! That is the positive news!” President Trump stated.
“The negative news is that China, perhaps unsurprisingly to some, HAS COMPLETELY BREACHED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he added.
However, not all has been smooth sailing in the relationship between the United States and China over the past week.
Two Chinese nationals are facing numerous federal charges after allegedly smuggling a hazardous crop-destroying fungus into the United States, raising significant national security concerns regarding potential agroterrorism.
The case was brought to light by U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., who stated that the two Chinese researchers are facing charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, making false statements, and committing visa fraud.
Court documents indicate that one of the individuals concealed samples of the fungus in his backpack while entering the U.S., an action that federal authorities assert could have posed serious risks to American agriculture.
Gorgon remarked in a statement, “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals — including a dedicated member of the Chinese Communist Party — raise the most serious national security concerns. These two individuals have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been labeled as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heart of America.”
As per an FBI affidavit, the researchers aimed to investigate the fungus at a University of Michigan laboratory, although the exact objective of their research was not revealed. The complaint highlights that Yunqing Jian had obtained funding from the Chinese government to work on the pathogen while in China.
FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that this incident might reflect a larger initiative by the Chinese Communist Party to target the U.S. food supply.
Patel stated in a message shared on his X account, “I can confirm that the FBI apprehended a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a hazardous biological pathogen into the country.”
He further noted, “This fungus can lead to a disease known as ‘head blight,’ which affects wheat, barley, maize, and rice, resulting in significant health problems for both humans and livestock. It incurs billions of dollars in economic losses globally each year.”
