BEIJING: China on Thursday denied the existence of any consultation or negotiations on the issue of tariffs between China and the US, let alone an agreement on the matter, when Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson responded to media questions.
While there is no clear indication that the new US administration has eased its protectionist trade pressure on China, it has faced domestic setbacks and growing concerns, a Chinese expert remarked. For the US to genuinely return to the negotiating table, they need to demonstrate sincerity and take meaningful steps, he added.
At a regular press conference from China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday, a reporter noted that the US says that Beijing and Washington are holding talks and are even about to reach a deal. The reporter asked if China can confirm this and whether the two sides have started negotiations. In response, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that this is false information. “None of that is true. As far as I know, China and the US are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs, still less reaching a deal,” Guo said.
Guo further said that this tariff war was launched by the US. “China’s position is consistent and clear: We will fight, if fight we must. Our doors are open, if the US wants to talk. Dialogue and negotiation must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit,” he said.
Asked to comment on US President Donald Trump’s remarks that the US tariffs against Chinese goods were “very high” and will drop “substantially” and US Treasury Secretary’s claim that the China-US tariff war will de-escalate, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said on Thursday that the person who tied the bell must untie it.
The unilateral tariff increase was initiated by the US, and if the US really wants to solve the problem, it should heed the rational voices of the international community and domestic parties, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find a way to resolve differences through equal dialogue, He said.
The spokesperson further pointed out that the US’ abuse of tariffs violates fundamental economic and market principles, and these measures fail to address the US’ own issues while severely undermining the global economic order and disrupting normal business operations and consumer lives, facing strong opposition both internationally and in the US.
The US has been sending mixed messages recently regarding tariffs. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the Trump administration will not unilaterally reduce tariffs imposed on China, CNBC reported.
Echoing Leavitt’s comment, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that there were no plans for the Trump administration to move first in lowering tariffs to de-escalate a bitter US-China trade war, Reuters reported. These remarks came as media reports that the Trump administration was considering slashing its steep tariffs on Chinese imports — in some cases by more than half — in a bid to de-escalate tensions with Beijing that have roiled global trade and investment. One senior White House official said the China tariffs were likely to come down to between roughly 50 percent and 65 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
In a response to a question regarding the report by Wall Street Journal, and media reports that the US president claimed how soon the tariffs can come down “depends on China,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that this tariff war was unilaterally initiated by the US. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
