China has stated that it does not seek conflict with the United States over the tariff issue. Responding to questions about the newly imposed US levies, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China will not sit back and allow the legitimate rights and interests of its people to be deprived.
This statement comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on tariffs. However, China has been excluded from this pause, and instead, the tariff rate on Chinese goods has been increased to 125 percent.
China on Thursday called on the United States to meet it “halfway” in the escalating trade war. “The door to dialogue is open, but it must be based on mutual respect and conducted in an equal manner,” said commerce ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian.
“The US tariffs seriously damage the rules-based multilateral trading system, and seriously impact the stability of the global economic order,” said foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian. “This is a blatant act that goes against the will of the world and goes against the whole world.” China will not sit back and let the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people be deprived, Lin added.
Citi analysts predict, the escalating U.S.-China tariff conflict is unlikely to cause further damage to trade, however, the risk of broader spillover effects persists in the absence of de-escalation. “In the current situation, we share the concern that meaningful negotiations may not resume before serious damage is done,” the analysts said. China is now isolated as the only country, apart from Canada, that has retaliated against Trump.
According to CNN, Trump had earlier said in the Oval Office that Chinese President XI Jinping will call him at some point. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday said Trump is expecting to have conversations with China after raising their tariff to 125%, CNN reported. He said if China does contact, they will directly pass the call to Trump. “The answer really is: it’s a phone call between the two leaders of these giant countries, and that they can work it out together,” Lutnick added, reported CNN.
Meanwhile, the US has agreed to hold negotiations with Vietnam for a trade agreement. A BBC report said that the countries will consider to remove as many non-tariff barriers as possible.
“The US cause doesn’t win the support of the people and will end in failure,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference, according to Reuters.
“China will not sit back and let the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people be deprived,” Lin added.
Meanwhile, China’s commerce ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian urged the United States to meet it “halfway” in the mounting trade war, while promising to “fight to the end” if a compromise cannot be reached.
“The door to dialogue is open, but it must be based on mutual respect and conducted in an equal manner,” He Yongqian said, according to AFP.
