US Vice President Vance. EPA Yonhap News. 

US Vice President J.D. Vance urged China on the 12th (local time) to revise its policies to prevent the recently intensified US-China trade dispute, sparked by China's export controls on key minerals and the US's announced 100% tariff increase on China, from escalating into a trade war.

In an interview with Fox News on the same day, Vice President Vance stated regarding the direction of the US-China trade dispute, "A lot of it depends on how China responds. If China responds in a very aggressive manner, I can assure you the President of the United States has far more cards than China does."

He added, "Over the next few weeks, we will get a real sense of whether China wants to start a trade war with us, or whether they truly want to act rationally. I hope they choose the rational path."

He expressed gratitude for President Trump's friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying, "They have a good relationship, but I think all of us were truly shocked by this action from the Chinese Communist Party government."

He continued, "The United States has tremendous leverage," and explained, "The President’s hope is that he doesn’t have to use that leverage."

Vice President Vance also reaffirmed the administration's stance during appearances on several broadcasts that US troops will monitor the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but will not be directly stationed in the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with ABC News, Vice President Vance stated that soldiers already deployed to CENTCOM will monitor the ceasefire agreement, explaining, "That includes doing everything that we can to ensure that the Israeli military withdraws to the agreed-upon lines, that Hamas does not attack innocent Israelis, and that the peace that we have created actually endures and lasts."

Currently, the US military has a CENTCOM base in Qatar.

Previously, the Trump administration announced that CENTCOM would deploy approximately 200 troops to support the ceasefire agreement, but did not disclose the exact location of these forces, raising concerns within the US that American troops might be stationed in the dangerous Gaza environment.

In an interview with NBC News, Vice President Vance stated that the US does not need to station its soldiers because Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia and the Gulf Arab states have offered to send ground troops necessary for peacekeeping.

Vice President Vance said that he expects 20 hostages held by Hamas to be released on the morning of the 13th, Israel time.

When asked if the Trump administration was considering invoking the Insurrection Act to send the National Guard to Democrat-led cities, Vice President Vance replied, "The President is looking at all options right now, but he has not felt the need to (invoke the Insurrection Act)."

However, he argued that crime in cities led by Democratic mayors is at an uncontrollable level, necessitating the deployment of the National Guard to enforce the law, stating, "It's not about the Insurrection Act or whether we are actually going to invoke it right now."

Previously, President Trump had ordered the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, but a court intervened, leading to speculation that he might invoke the Insurrection Act.

In the United States, the military cannot be deployed for non-military law enforcement by government authorities. However, the Insurrection Act grants the President the authority to deploy military forces domestically under specific conditions outlined in the law, such as insurrection.

Yonhap News