Investing.com – China has urged the United States to stop resorting to pressure tactics if it wants to reach a tariff agreement, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that duties on Chinese goods could be reduced.
“The U.S. should stop making threats and resorting to coercion if it wants to make a deal,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.
Guo accused Washington of applying "extreme pressure" even while pursuing talks and warned that such an approach is “not the right way to deal with China.”
In separate remarks published by the official Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned of the broader implications of tariff and trade wars.
“Tariff and trade wars undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, hurt the multilateral trading system and impact the world economic order,” Xi said on Wednesday during a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who is on a state visit to China through April 24.
Xi reiterated China’s commitment to defending the international system and expressed willingness to deepen law enforcement and security cooperation with Azerbaijan.
Comments from China’s highest officials came in response to Trump’s Tuesday statement that the current 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports is likely to be lowered.
“It won’t be that high, not going to be that high,” Trump said at an Oval Office press briefing. He added that a deal with Beijing could come “pretty quickly” and indicated a more conciliatory stance, saying, “I’m not going to play hardball.”
The U.S. president struck an optimistic tone, emphasizing the possibility of a mutually beneficial outcome. “They’re gonna do very well, and I think they’re going to be happy, and we’re gonna live together very happily and ideally work together,” Trump said.