A day after US President Donald Trump hinted that the high tariffs he put on China may be lifted after the parties reached an agreement, China announced on Wednesday that it was open to holding trade negotiations with Washington.
Trump and Beijing have been engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war since the start of his second term in January, which has resulted in US tariffs on numerous Chinese imports rising to 145%.
The intense trade conflict between the two largest economies in the world has shook markets and sparked concerns about a worldwide recession.
Trump admitted on Tuesday that US tariffs on China were “very high” at the moment, but he promised that they will “come down substantially” once an agreement was reached.
When questioned about the statements, Beijing reiterated earlier claims that trade conflicts and tariffs have “no winners.”
“We do not wish to fight, nor are we afraid of fighting,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a regular press conference, adding that China would “fight to the end”, if necessary.
“The door for talks is wide open,” he said.
But, he warned, “saying on the one hand that they want to reach an agreement with China, while on the other hand continuing to exert extreme pressure is not the correct way to have dealings with China”.
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