China has said it is assessing proposals by the United States to begin negotiations on US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that the US has “recently, through relevant channels, actively conveyed messages to China, expressing a desire to engage in talks.”
It added that China is “currently evaluating this.”
In its statement, China’s Commerce Ministry said that its stance on the trade dispute had been consistent. “If there is a fight, we will fight to the end; if there are talks, the door is open,” the ministry said.
“The tariff war and trade war were unilaterally initiated by the US, and if the US wants to talk, it should demonstrate sincerity by preparing to correct its erroneous actions and rescind the unilateral imposition of additional tariffs.”
China’s Commerce Ministry
It added that “attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and blackmail” would not work with China.
Beijing’s remarks come after Chinese state media reported earlier in the week that the Trump administration had “proactively reached out” through multiple channels.
Trump, who has slapped a 145 percent tariff on Chinese exports, has repeatedly insisted that his administration is in negotiations with Beijing, a claim that Chinese officials have rejected as “groundless.”
On Wednesday, Trump said there was a “very good chance” he would reach a trade deal with China, so long as it was “fair.”
Trump’s trade war with China has resulted in a de facto mutual trade embargo between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump’s tariffs have taken a heavy toll on China’s export- and manufacturing-reliant economy, with orders being cut and factory production halted.
The world’s second-largest economy reported on Wednesday that factory activity contracted in April, at its fastest pace in 16 months, indicating the level of damage that sky-high tariffs have already inflicted.
While major American retailers such as Walmart and Target have resumed some business with Chinese suppliers, many factories are still idle and exploring alternative markets like Europe.
Businesses and investors have been anxiously waiting for signs that Washington and Beijing will ease their steep tariffs on each other’s goods amid fears that a protracted standoff will inflict serious damage on the global economy.
The International Monetary Fund last month lowered its global growth forecast for 2025 to 2.8 percent, down from 3.3 percent in January, while JPMorgan Chase has put the likelihood of a US recession this year at 60 percent.
A Softening In China’s Position
China’s latest statement signals a softening in its position, which has been steadfastly defiant amid heightened tensions with the US because of President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
Christopher Beddor, Deputy China Research Director at Gavekal Dragonomics, a financial services company in Beijing, said that China appears to be sincere about being open to talks provided the US is serious.
“Again, they’ve got a lot of tools: The tariffs are already in place, but they also have export controls and can launch more probes into US companies.
“The list goes on. Most importantly, they’re ready to stimulate to blunt the damage to economic growth. But policymakers also clearly understand that it would be a lot better if they didn’t have to use those tools because there was a de-escalation.”
Christopher Beddor,
Also, Steven Okun, the CEO of Singapore-based consultancy APAC Advisors, said that it would not be a surprise to see meetings between Chinese and US officials “given the interdependence of their economies and the damage being done to both.”
However, he said that characterising such contact as a “negotiation” would be premature.
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