Amid a bitter trade war, President Donald Trump has said that the United States and China are in talks over tariffs. He expressed optimism that the two nations, the world's largest economies, would eventually reach an agreement to bring an end to their prolonged trade dispute.
"Yes, we're talking to China. I’d say they’ve reached out several times," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Trump revealed that talks have continued even after he raised tariffs on Chinese goods to an unprecedented 145 per cent. This move followed Beijing’s retaliation against sweeping global levies he announced on 2 April, which he dubbed “Liberation Day” tariffs.
Going to make a very good deal: Trump
When asked if he had spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump remained evasive, saying, "I’ve never said whether or not they’ve happened. It’s just not appropriate." However, when pressed further on whether Xi had reached out to him, Trump replied, "You’d think it was pretty obvious that he has, but we’ll talk about that soon."
The US and China remain embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff war that has rattled global markets. Still, Trump struck a hopeful tone, saying, "I think we're going to make a very good deal with China," during a meeting at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which also aimed to address US tariffs on the European Union.
Donald Trump believes the responsibility lies with China, not the United States, to re-engage in trade negotiations, the White House said on Tuesday, following the president’s accusation that Beijing had backed out of a major Boeing deal.
“The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” said a statement from Trump, which was read aloud by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing.
“There’s no difference between China and any other country—except that they’re much larger,” she added.
In response, China urged Washington on Wednesday to “stop threatening and blackmailing” after Trump insisted it was up to Beijing to return to the negotiating table to help resolve the ongoing trade war.