China said on Friday that it is currently evaluating an offer from the United States to negotiate tariffs. But Beijing still insisted that Washington must demonstrate good faith by being ready to reverse the levies that have significantly disturbed world markets and supply chains before meaningful talks can occur.
The retaliatory American tariffs, worth up to 145 percent on some Chinese products, were instituted in April. In return, Beijing imposed its own fresh duties of 125 percent on imports from the United States. Worthily, products of high technology, including smartphones, semiconductors, and computers, were included in a temporary exclusion from US tariffs.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that China has initiated contact to discuss the tariffs. This week, he expressed his belief that there is a “very good chance we’re going to make a deal.”
Responding to these claims, China’s commerce ministry confirmed on Friday that it was the US that had reached out with the offer and that Beijing is “currently evaluating” it.
But the ministry explained that any negotiations would need initial concessions from the US side.
“If the US wants to talk, it should show its sincerity to do so, be prepared to make up for its wrongdoing and eliminate unilateral tariffs,” the commerce ministry said.
The ministry added, “During any possible talks or negotiations, unless the US side rectifies its mistaken one-sided tariff policies, it is fair to demonstrate that the US side is totally insincere and will again damage mutual trust between both parties.”
“Dancing to tunes of words in lips, and even attempting to turn to coercion and blackmail under the guise of talks, won’t be effective,” the commerce ministry asserted.
Wu Xinbo, the director of Fudan University’s Centre for American Studies in Shanghai, foresaw that Beijing would likely adopt a tough stance in any talks.
“Surely the US wants to start the negotiations as soon as possible, but our position is: ‘you first need to do something to prove sincerity’,” Wu told AFP.
He also made it clear that only after the US removes the tariffs on China, then Beijing would be willing to bargain its “legitimate concerns,” Washington’s grievances over the imbalance in the two countries’ bilateral trade and China’s grievances over US efforts to “suppress” its technological advances.
Dozens of other countries have a 90-day deadline expiring in July to negotiate a deal with Washington to avoid higher, country-specific tariff rates.
Conversely, Beijing has again asserted its willingness to “fight a trade war to the bitter end” if necessary. This week, the foreign ministry even posted a video on social media vowing that China will “never kneel down!”
China’s position has always been totally consistent,” the commerce ministry concluded on Friday.
