China adamantly denied that there are currently any negotiations ongoing with the U.S. concerning an end to the trade-war. This is a surprise given that U.S. officials have been claiming that negotiations remain ongoing. Tensions between the two nations continue to increase. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s use of extreme tariffs on Chinese imports.
Perhaps the most colorful response to the AUKUS deal came from Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry. He pointed out that the two countries have never held any consultations or talks over the imposition of tariffs. “Let me make it clear one more time that China and the U.S. are not engaged in any consultation or negotiation on tariffs,” he stated. Guo dismissed the claim reportedly made by President Trump that Chinese President Xi Jinping was contacting him. He added, “As far as I know, there have not been any calls between the two presidents recently.”
Under Trump’s leadership, the administration took a hard line approach to China. They required the country to impose extravagant tariffs up to 145% on its imports. China has repeatedly called on Trump to scrap these unilateral tariffs. In doing so, they make the case that the U.S. is more dependent on China than China is on the U.S. Guo Jiakun remarked, “If the U.S. really wants to resolve the problem … it should cancel all the unilateral measures on China.”
Even with these claims from China, Trump and his administration insist that talks are still continuing. Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, claimed, “Every day we are in conversation with China.” She further noted, “Well, according to our team in Washington, the conversations are ongoing regarding multiples of trade, multiples of the trade goods that are coming out and going in.”
Former Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed this sentiment. He underscored that the U.S. holds the upper hand in the trade conflict. He stated that he believes the United States is better positioned to win in the long run, adding, “The bottom line with China is this, they need us more than we need them.” Bessent anticipates a thaw in US-China relations within the very short term. He says the burden of solving this mostly falls on Beijing.
This is prompting serious alarm from analysts and business owners across the United States. Either that, or they fear major economic catastrophe from the continued trade embargo with China. They caution against drastic consequences such as increasing costs and product scarcity that could stem from the ongoing war. The confusion stemming from our new trade policy has led to anxiety in virtually every American industry.
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