Trade Talks
China reiterated on Saturday that it has not engaged in any trade talks with the United States, despite President Donald Trump’s recent claims suggesting otherwise.
In an interview with Time magazine conducted on April 22 and published on Friday, Trump mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him, but he did not specify when the call occurred or what exactly was discussed. “He’s called,” Trump said during the interview. “And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.” However, Trump’s remarks were met with firm denials from Chinese officials.
Earlier, on Thursday, China’s commerce ministry had already made it clear that Beijing and Washington were not involved in any economic or trade negotiations at the moment.
Reinforcing this stance, China’s embassy in Washington issued a statement on its official WeChat account on Saturday, emphasizing that “there have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the United States on tariff issues, let alone any agreement.”
While the statement did not directly name Trump or Xi, nor did it specifically reference Trump’s claim of receiving a call, it strongly rejected any suggestion that talks were underway. It labeled the US remarks as “nothing but misleading,” accusing Washington of spreading false information regarding the status of trade discussions.
The embassy further stated, “This trade war was initiated by the US side,” and stressed that if the United States genuinely wished to resolve the ongoing issues, it must first correct its approach.
The statement called for an end to threats, pressure tactics, and the removal of all unilateral tariffs imposed on Chinese goods.
Currently, the two largest economies in the world are caught in a worsening trade conflict, marked by increasing tariffs on a wide range of products. US-imposed duties on Chinese imports have now reached up to 145% on many items.
Despite the lack of progress with China, Trump hinted in his interview that he plans to announce trade agreements with other US partners soon. Referring to China, he said, “There’s a number at which they will feel comfortable,” but emphasized, “you can’t let them make a trillion dollars on us.”
