China has asked the United States to lift its sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, saying such a move would demonstrate that President Donald Trump is serious about resolving the ongoing trade dispute.
A Chinese official stated that no trade talks had taken place with Washington, despite claims to the contrary from the Trump administration.
In one of Beijing’s strongest statements yet, a commerce ministry spokesman said the US should remove all “unilateral tariff measures” if it “truly wanted” to resolve the issue.
“The person who tied the bell must untie it,” he added, using a Chinese proverb to suggest that the US must take responsibility for undoing the damage.
Separately, the foreign ministry spokesman said China and the US had “not conducted consultations or negotiations on tariffs, let alone reached an agreement”. It dismissed reports to the contrary as “false”.
Trump had earlier claimed that talks between the two nations were “active” — a statement contradicted by US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, who confirmed on Wednesday that negotiations had not yet begun.
Nonetheless, Bessent expressed hope for a “big deal” on trade, describing the current situation as “unsustainable” and “not a joke”. He has previously said he expects the conflict to de-escalate.
The trade war between the world’s two largest economies continues to escalate. In its latest retaliatory move, China has returned Boeing aircraft previously ordered from the US.
Trump, however, has appeared to soften his position, suggesting that the tariffs currently in place could be significantly reduced. “They will come down substantially,” he said, “but it won’t be zero.”
The US has imposed import duties of up to 145% on Chinese products, with China responding by levying tariffs of up to 125% on American goods.
