China's foreign ministry signalled that Beijing is willing to discuss tariffs with the U.S., but won't do so under continued threats from the Trump administration.
"China's attitude towards the tariff war launched by the U.S. is quite clear: we don't want to fight, but we are not afraid of it. If we fight, we will fight to the end; if we talk, the door is wide open," foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press briefing on Wednesday.
If the U.S. really wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop making threats and engage in dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit, said Guo.
The U.S. can't say it wants a deal while exerting extreme pressure on China, and that strategy won't work, Guo added.
Wednesday's comments came shortly after President Trump said that he's not going "to play hardball" with China, and that the two countries will ultimately reach a trade agreement.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday also told attendees of a closed-door JPMorgan investor gathering that he expects the trade conflict with China to de-escalate, according to people who were in the room for his remarks.
In a meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that tariffs and trade wars harm the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, undermining the global multilateral trading system and the world economic order, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency said.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson also remarked on the U.S.'s recent efforts to reassert control over the Panama Canal.
"No lies can cover up the U.S.'s ambition to control the Panama Canal," Guo told reporters on Wednesday, urging the U.S. to stop interfering with China's exchanges and cooperation with Latin American countries. including Panama.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
04-23-25 0440ET
