China Demands Rollback On All Unilateral Tariffs As It Rebuffs Trump’s Offer To Negotiate
by Siladitya Ray · ForbesTopline
Chinese officials on Thursday dismissed talks of any progress in trade negotiations with the U.S. and reiterated their stance that Washington must drop all unilateral tariffs against Beijing, two days after President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on levies against China and signaled trade talks between both sides could happen soon.
Key Facts
In a press briefing, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong addressed comments by Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about lowering tariffs with China through trade negotiations.
The spokesperson said China is open to talks, but any such dialogue must be “conducted on an equal footing and based on mutual respect,” and the U.S. must correct its “wrong practices” before engaging with Beijing.
The spokesperson accused the U.S. of “unilaterally” provoking a trade war and warned that “pressure, threats and blackmail” were not the right approach to deal with China.
On Trump’s comments about “substantially” lowering tariffs on Chinese goods, He said the “unilateral tariff increase” was started by the U.S. and if Washington wants to resolve the issue, it must: “cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China.”
He also noted that any claims of progress in China and U.S. trade talks were “groundless and have no factual basis.”
What Else Has Beijing Said About Trump’s Talks Of Lowering Tariffs?
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also addressed the matter during the ministry’s daily press conference, saying the “tariff war” was “launched by the U.S.,” and while China was not looking for a fight, it is not afraid of it. “We will fight if we must,” but Beijing’s “doors are open, if the U.S. wants to talk.” Guo noted Washington must stop “threatening and blackmailing China” and said: “To keep asking for a deal while exerting extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with China and simply will not work.”
What Did Trump Say About Lowering Tariffs?
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that he expected Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate a trade deal with him, as he promised to be “very nice” to China. The president said he was hopeful a deal would happen soon and acknowledged that the current 145% tariff rate against China was “very high.” The President then suggested he was prepared to lower the tariffs, saying: “It won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”
What Has Scott Bessent Said About Negotiations With China?
Trump’s remarks were made shortly after Bessent expressed concerns that the high tariffs both the U.S. and China had imposed on each other was effectively halting all trade between the two countries. Speaking at a event on Tuesday, Bessent acknowledged the 145% tariff on China was essentially a “trade embargo” and such high tariffs were “unsustainable.” At the time, Bessent said he believed the trade tensions would cool in the next few months but noted that a full fledged deal could take two to three years.