‘Doors open if US wants to talk,’ says China amid tariff war

Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China, said, “Our doors are open if the US wants to talk, ” on the ongoing tariff war between US and China. 

This remark comes after US President Donald Trump stated at the White House that the proposed 145% tariff on Chinese goods would be “substantially lower.”

When asked about Trump’s comments that he wouldn’t “play hardball” with China in trade talks and that China “has to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States,” Jiakun responded back firmly.

He said, “We have said from day one that tariff and trade wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere, and to decouple is to self-alienate. This tariff war was launched by the US. We have made it very clear that China does not seek a war, but neither are we afraid of one. We will fight, if fight we must.”

Jiakun, as per a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Germany, further emphasised that if a negotiated solution is truly what the US wants, it should stop threatening and blackmailing China and instead engage in dialogue based on equality, respect, and mutual benefit.

He added, “To keep asking for a deal while exerting extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with China, it simply will not work.”

These statements from both China and President Trump have provided a signal that the proposed tariffs may be significantly reduced through negotiations, bringing relief to global markets and potentially benefiting both economies.

Also read:

Trump says tariffs on China will not be 145%, it will be ‘substantially lower’