Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich issued a stark warning regarding diplomatic engagements with China on Fox Business Wednesday, advising the Trump administration to approach all dealings with Beijing through a lens of profound skepticism.
His comments come as China confirmed it would attend a meeting in Switzerland at the Trump administration’s request, while simultaneously vowing strong opposition to U.S. tariff hikes and rejecting any pressure or coercion.
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Appearing on the program “Kudlow,” Gingrich expressed low expectations for the upcoming Switzerland talks. “I think they’re going to meet and agree that they should meet. There’s not going to be any big deal,” he predicted. However, he added, referencing a quote attributed to Winston Churchill, “‘Jaw, jaw, jaw is better than war, war, war.’ So I’m perfectly happy to talk with the Chinese.”
Gingrich emphasized that any dialogue or agreement with China must be paired with rigorous oversight. He argued that standard verification is insufficient given China’s history.
“I think your key point is it’s not just trust but verify. It’s trust, but inspect, because you have to assume that to the degree they can get away with it, they will cheat on every single agreement,” Gingrich stated.
He further advised that the structure of any agreements must allow for constant monitoring. “You’ve got to design agreements where you can monitor them every day, or you should expect to be cheated.”
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The context for these remarks includes recent trade actions by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump announced tariff hikes on Chinese exports to the U.S. in an April 9 Truth Social post, just a week after initially unveiling new import duties. At that time, he also stated a pause on reciprocal tariffs for 90 days.
Adding another layer to the diplomatic picture, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified Tuesday before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government that the administration is actively negotiating with 17 key trading partners, but notably, has not been in discussions with China.
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As the U.S. increases tariffs aimed at economically isolating China – with rates reaching as high as 245% on certain goods – Beijing is actively pursuing trade agreements and strengthening ties with other nations globally. This includes deepening relationships with countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and in Europe, in an effort to offset the impact of the American tariffs.
Just this past Monday, Vietnam and Malaysia reportedly deepened their trade ties with China. Both nations are seen as playing crucial roles in China’s export strategy amidst rising U.S. tariffs. Vietnam alone imported $135 billion worth of Chinese goods last year and signed a new agreement during a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Malaysia, a major supplier of crude oil to China, also imported $65.5 billion in Chinese goods in the same period.
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