Trump met with Xi, but his eldest son says: 'Absolutely not' on China investment

Donald Trump Jr. tells Swiss investor forum 'China is not an ally'

'I've never seen a non-Chinese win a lawsuit in China'

Hard-line remarks come amid US-China tariff talks

Comments at odds with White House's softer tone toward Beijing

Eric Trump (left), co-founder of digital asset firm World Liberty Financial and son of President Donald Trump, smiles with his brother Donald Trump Jr. in front of the Nasdaq display board. [Yonhap]

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

Even as President Donald Trump pursues tariff relief and expanded economic cooperation following his summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr. has publicly declared he will not invest in China. The statement underscores the deep skepticism toward Beijing that persists within the Trump camp despite the White House's recent push to stabilize relations.

According to Bloomberg, Trump Jr. gave a flat "no" Friday at an investor forum in Zurich, Switzerland, when asked whether he would consider investing in China.

"I don't think you can pretend China is an ally," he said. "That would be foolish."

Trump Jr. was particularly critical of China's legal system.

"I've never met anyone who wasn't Chinese, did business in China and won a lawsuit," he said, adding that "the system is tilted against foreign companies."

The remarks drew attention precisely because they came as US-China relations have entered a gradual thaw.

President Trump and Xi reached a broad understanding at their Beijing summit in May on easing tariff tensions and expanding economic cooperation. Since then, the Office of the United States Trade Representative has launched a public comment process toward establishing a bilateral trade commission.

US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk side by side ahead of a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. [Getty Images]

The two countries are also reportedly considering reducing tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of goods not directly tied to national security.

President Trump himself has of late moderated his rhetoric toward China.

After the summit, he acknowledged China's industrial espionage and intellectual property violations but added that "the US spies too" — a notably softer tone than in the past.

Earlier this year, Trump kept up a hard line against China, pressing for steep tariffs and supply chain restructuring. More recently, analysts say he has shifted toward managing the relationship to reduce global economic uncertainty and advance trade negotiations.

Trump Jr., by contrast, has repeatedly expressed strong distrust of China in public.

He has consistently argued that excessive US corporate dependence on the Chinese market poses risks to both national and economic security, and has called for moving manufacturing and supply chains back to the United States or to allied nations.

Currently serving as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, Trump Jr. runs the business alongside his brother Eric Trump. Since their father returned to the White House, the two have expanded real estate and investment projects across the Middle East, Europe and Asia — but China remains firmly off the table.

Analysts do not read the remarks as signaling a formal policy shift by the Trump administration, but say they reveal a deep-seated wariness toward China that still runs through the inner circle.

Competition in key strategic sectors — advanced semiconductors, AI, rare earths and supply chain control — has continued unabated even since the summit. Analysts expect the dual dynamic of the two countries pursuing tariff reductions and economic cooperation while maintaining rivalry in technology and security to persist for now.

The "One Trump a Day" newsletter and series, published by the international desk, delivers a one-minute briefing on Trump-related issues every day.

sjy@heraldcorp.com