President Donald Trump said his administration was talking to China about commerce, After Beijing denied the existence of negotiations on an agreement and demanded that the United States revoke all unilateral tariffs.
“They had a meeting this morning,” Trump said Thursday during a meeting with Norway’s Prime Minister when a journalist asked him about the Chinese statement.
When asked about which administration officials participated in the conversations, the US President replied: “It doesn’t matter who ‘they are’. We may reveal it later, but they met this morning and we have met with China.”
The exchange exposed the current disconnection between Washington and Beijingwhile the government of President Xi Jinping maintains a challenging position despite Trump’s recent suggestion that could reduce tariffs to China.
The spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, dismissed on Thursday at a regular press conference in Beijing the speculation that advances in bilateral communications have been madesaying that “any report on the development of conversations lacks foundation” and urged the United States to “show sincerity” if you want to reach an agreement.
“The United States should respond to the rational voices of the international community and within its own borders and completely eliminate all unilateral tariffs imposed on China, if you really want to solve the problem, ”he said.
The statements suggest that Trump’s comments this week, in which he indicated that he could reduce tariffs to China —That are currently 145% for most products, “they will not be enough to reduce tension.” The American leader said Wednesday that “everything is active” when asked about whether he was talking with China and that Beijing “would do well” once the conversations were resolved.
Trump has tried to contact XI on the phone several times since his return to office, but the Chinese leader has resisted so far. Beijing requires a series of measures by Washington before accepting trade negotiations, such as showing more respect and appointing a key person for dialogue, Bloomberg News previously reported.
Other conditions include a more consistent American position and a will to address China’s concerns about US and Taiwan sanctionsthe Autonomous Island that Beijing has promised to claim someday, by force if necessary.
Trump changed his tone once again on Thursday, criticizing Beijing for refusing to accept Boeing aircraft and for its role in illegal fentanyl traffic. The United States imposed 20 % tariffs on Chinese imports related to fentanyl, before applying an additional 125 % tariff.
“Boeing should breach with China for not accepting the planes with impeccable finishes that China promised to buy,” Trump published on social networks. “And, by the way, the fentanyl continues to arrive in our country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of people, and better that it stops now!”
China has cautiously responded to the volatile tariff measurements of Trump, and Beijing has described the high levels of “useless” levies. The authorities have also warned other countries that do not close agreements with the United States that can harm their interests.
Highlighting how tension in commercial ties is extending to other areas of the relationship, The China Ministry of Defense blamed the “biased” vision of “some individuals in the US” on Thursday. ” for hindering the commitment between Chinese and American armies.
POLICIES SUPPORT
The attention is now focused on the support policies that Beijing will implement to protect the second world economy from the impact of tariffs on the export engine that promoted about 40% of growth in the first quarter. Indications of stimuli could arise this week, when the Politburó is expected to be responsible for decision making, it meets, traditionally focused on the economy.
According to Larry Hu, chief economist for China by Macquarie Group, it is “too soon” for Beijing to bet on political support. “After all, it is much easier for Trump to retract from his tariff threat than for Beijing to retract his stimulus announcement,” he added.
Beijing usually grants stimuli only when necessary to protect the country’s annual growth objective. With an expansion of 5.4% in the first quarter – on top of the objective of approximately 5% by 2025 -, political leaders could consider that they have waiting margin.
The statements of China’s Ministries of Commerce and Defense occurred hours after Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the Popular Bank of China, warned about the threat that current frictions pose to confidence in the global economic system, during the first trip of Chinese officials to the United States since Trump imposed his greatest tariffs so far.
“All parties must strengthen cooperation and make efforts to prevent the global economy from falling into a” high friction and low trust “path,” Said Pan Gongsheng at a group of the 20s in Washington on Wednesday, according to a publication on the social networks of the central Chinese station Television.
PAN GongSheng is one of the main members of a Chinese delegation that attends the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank this week in the US capital, where debates are also carried out in which the United States, EU and other members of the G20 participate.
The events are expected to provide the first opportunity for Chinese economic officials to meet in person with the Trump team Since drastically increased tariffs on Chinese imports earlier this month, before any formal negotiation to cool commercial tensions.
However, None of the parties has announced bilateral meetings despite Trump’s decision to soften his tone about tariffs which is expected to affect the growth of the second largest economy in the world.
“There are no winners in commercial wars” and China will remain open to the outside world and firmly support free trade and the multilateral trade system, PAN said, according to the report.
