At the beginning of his new term, Mr. Trump showed a softer approach towards China.

Specifically, according to an article on the Axios news portal, in the early days of his second presidential term, US President Donald Trump took a softer stance towards China than before.

“President Trump left Washington four years ago proclaiming a revolutionary new consensus on the threat posed by China,” the article said. “He returned this week, seemingly downplaying that threat — signaling a possible thaw in relations between the world’s two leading superpowers.”

How Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping communicate over the next four years “will have profound implications” for the global economy, artificial intelligence, climate change, national security and other areas, according to Axios.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Trump mentioned China only once. Then, the new US President revealed plans to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese products, which according to Axios is "much lower than the 60% rate he mentioned during the campaign."

According to analysts interviewed by the news site, Mr. Trump "appears to be softening his stance toward China."

In an earlier interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump expressed hope that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would reach a deal on fairer trade. He also said his recent phone call with the Chinese leader went well.

During his first presidential term from 2017-2021, Mr. Trump effectively initiated a trade war with China regarding a large trade deficit with the balance tilted in favor of Beijing.

At that time, the Trump administration pursued a policy of increasing comprehensive pressure on Beijing and containing China on all fronts. Washington imposed tariffs on imported goods from China worth a total of 370 billion USD, however, this could not eliminate the trade imbalance.

In addition, Mr. Trump has significantly increased pressure on Chinese technology companies, especially Huawei.