Bangkok-The United States has approached Beijing for talks to defuse an escalation of the trade war, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Friday in a possible sign of progress towards the implementation of a tit-for-tat tariff battle that threatens global economic growth.
The ministry said that China was open to talks, in the comments published on its website, and urged Washington to correct its “erroneous” practices and to cancel the prices.
“We will fight, if we owe it, we owe it,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, according to the report. “Our doors are open, if the United States wants to speak.”
US President Donald Trump has imposed 145% prices on Chinese products, demanding that the country buy more American products. China responded with 125% tariffs on American products.
Trump said last month that Washington and Beijing were on the prices and expressed the confidence that the two biggest economies in the world would reach a three to four -week agreement. The Chinese Commerce Ministry only said that it maintained a communication level communication with its American counterparts.
The announcement of Friday from the Ministry of Commerce confirms a report the day before on the Chinese social media platform Weibo de Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account linked to the CCTV state diffuser.
He said that the United States had set out to “via several channels” without giving details.
China did not need to engage in talks, said the position. “China must observe closely, even to force the real intentions of the United States, to maintain the initiative in negotiation and confrontation,” he said.
Trump said on Wednesday that there was a “very good luck” of an agreement with China. The Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, told Fox News that high prices on both sides were to be treated for talks to progress.
“I am convinced that the Chinese will want to conclude an agreement. And as I said, it will be a process in several stages,” said Bessent. “First of all, we must defuse, then over time, we will start to focus on a more important commercial agreement.”
Published by Stephen Wright and Tajun Kang.