Beijing hardens the game and aims Washington

In a harder tone, China says there will only be dialogue if the US removes all unilateral tariffs imposed since the beginning of the trade war

Beijing asked the US to “completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures” if they want commercial talks in some of China’s strongest comments so far about the impasse between the world’s two economic superpowers. Beijing said on Thursday (24) that “there are currently no economic and commercial negotiations between China and the United States,” despite recent signs of Washington’s softening dispute. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said in recent days that the trade war “is not sustainable” and “there would be a bleach on both sides.”

“Unilateral tariff measures have started by the US,” said He Yadong, spokesman for the China Ministry of Commerce. “If the US really want to solve the problem, they should … completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China and find a way to solve differences through an equal dialogue.”

Beijing has kept that the US should take the first step to fluttering the crisis, which threatens to cause a tough economic separation between the economies of both countries.

China has also said consistently that its “door is open” for conversations, but any insistence that the US unilaterally remove its rates as a preliminary negotiations would represent significant hardening of its position.

On a Tit-For-Tat climb, US President Donald Trump imposed additional 145% tariffs this month, and Beijing answered with 125%-Tariffs Bessent said on Tuesday equivalent to a “embargo”.

Trump has since begun to soften some of the measures, granting exemptions to smartphones, semiconductors and electronics and stating that the US and China were in direct contact “every day.”

On Tuesday, the president said the tariffs would be reduced “substantially” and that an agreement would be closed “very quickly.”

But China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that any report that China and the US were close to an agreement was “fake news.”

“There were no consultations or negotiations between China and the United States about tariffs, the more the conclusion of an agreement,” said Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, He, said that “whoever tied the bell [no tigre] It must be responsible for untying it, ”referring to a Chinese proverb that means that those who create a problem must be responsible for solving it.

He said Beijing has maintained “an open attitude towards consultations and dialogue,” but “pressing, threatening and extorting are not the right ways to deal with China.”

“The trade war is the one that the US has unilaterally instigated … If they want to negotiate, they must show sincerity and return to the right path of dialogue and equal appointments,” he said.

Bessent said on Tuesday that any bass in the trade war would have to be mutual, denying reports that Trump could unilaterally cut the rates on Chinese products.

Chinese analysts argue that the imposition of high US tariffs makes it difficult for Beijing to find a way to disarm the crisis.

China President Xi Jinping would find it difficult to get personally involved with Trump in the trade war unless this was preceded by extensive negotiations to make an agreement, they say.

With information from Financial Times*