US wants to start tariff talks with China: state media

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The US and China hiked levies on each other’s goods to over 100 per cent since Trump took office.
The US and China hiked levies on each other’s goods to over 100 per cent since Trump took office.

The United States has approached China seeking talks over President Donald Trump’s 145 per cent tariffs, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media says, the latest report of possible moves towards negotiations.

“The US has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue,” Yuyuan Tantian said in a post published on its official Weibo social media account, citing anonymous sources.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said “as far as I know, there have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the US on tariffs”.

Beijing has been adamant it will stand and fight, rather than rush to the negotiation table – with the foreign ministry likening yielding to Trump’s tariffs to “drinking poison.”

“Before the US takes any substantive action, China has no need to engage in talks with the US,” the post from Yuyuan Tantian added, citing anonymous experts.

“However, if the US wishes to initiate contact, there is no harm at this stage for China to engage.

“China needs to observe closely, even force out the US’ true intentions, to maintain the initiative in both negotiation and confrontation,” it concluded.

US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump said last week that his administration was talking with China. (AP PHOTO)

Trump said in a US media interview published last Friday that his administration was talking with China to reach a tariff deal and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him. Beijing last week repeatedly denied such talks were taking place, accusing Washington of “misleading the public”.

Yuyuan Tantian is not among China’s most authoritative state media outlets. The Global Times, which is owned by the newspaper of the governing Communist Party, People’s Daily, has often been first to report China’s next steps in trade disagreements over the past few years.

Trump said on Wednesday he believed there was a “very good chance” his administration could do a deal with China, hours after Xi called for China, the world’s second-largest economy, to take action to adjust to changes in the international environment, without explicitly mentioning the United States.

Boxes labelled "Made in China"
Chinese products into the US are not part of the Trump administration’s 90-day pause on tariffs. (AP PHOTO)

Trump placed tariffs of 145 per cent on imports from China, while China hit back with 125 per cent tariffs on US products.

While Trump has given other countries a 90-day pause on the tariffs, as their leaders pledged to negotiate with the US, China remained the exception.

Chinese officials have consistently stated that Beijing is open to talks, with the caveat that “dialogue and negotiation must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit.”

Yuyuan Tantian is not among China’s most authoritative state media outlets. The Global Times, which is owned by the newspaper of the governing Communist Party, People’s Daily, has often been first to report China’s next steps in trade disagreements over the past few years.

Reuters