On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced talks with China aimed at reaching an agreement on mutual tariffs, amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries that have impacted various sectors worldwide.
Trump told reporters at the White House after signing new executive orders that “China has reached out several times to the United States since the tariffs were imposed… We are in talks with them.”
He added, “I believe we will reach an agreement with China,” noting that he would postpone discussions about an agreement regarding TikTok until “the trade issue with China is resolved.” Sources have previously indicated that Beijing halted the process of selling TikTok’s assets in the U.S. in response to Trump’s tariffs.
Trump emphasized to reporters that “U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods may not increase; in fact, they may decrease.”
Earlier on Thursday, Trump expressed optimism about reaching “good” trade agreements with several countries, including China and the European Union, but he noted that he is “not in a hurry,” anticipating significant tariffs on imported goods.
In response to a question about whether he was concerned about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to three U.S. allies—Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia—Trump said, “No, no one can compete with us, no one, and we will reach an agreement. I believe we will reach a very good agreement with China.”
On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce urged the United States to stop exerting “intense pressure” on the world’s second-largest economy and called for respect in any trade discussions; however, both sides remain deadlocked over who should initiate those talks.
The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Beijing by increasing tariffs on Chinese imports in recent months. The White House stated on Tuesday that China now faces tariffs of up to 245%.
China’s Ministry of Commerce criticized these tariffs as “irrational,” stating that Beijing would ignore the “absurd” tariff figures.
The ministry also warned that Beijing “will fight to the end” if the United States insists on causing significant harm to China’s rights and interests.
He Yongqian, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated at a weekly press conference, “The United States is the one that unilaterally started raising tariffs.”
Unlike other countries that reacted to Trump’s “retaliatory tariffs” by seeking deals with Washington, Beijing responded by increasing tariffs on U.S. goods and did not seek discussions.
Beijing asserts that talks can only take place on the basis of mutual respect and equality, while Washington stated on Tuesday that Trump is open to a trade agreement with China, but the latter must take the first step, emphasizing that “the ball is in China’s court.”
The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce urged the United States “to immediately stop exercising intense pressure, coercion, and intimidation, and to resolve disputes with China through equal dialogue based on mutual respect.”
She added that the Ministry maintains communication with its U.S. counterparts, affirming that Beijing is open to conducting economic and trade negotiations with Washington but cited a Chinese proverb: “He who causes the problem should solve it.”
