China refutes Trump tariff-talks claim

The US president earlier signaled a potential easing of the proposed tariffs and said he has discussed the situation with Beijing

Beijing has pushed back on US President Donald Trump’s claims that tariff negotiations are underway between the two countries. No talks have taken place and reports to the contrary are “fake news,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.

Guo’s remarks followed Trump’s comments on Wednesday hinting at a potential reversal of his tariff policy. The US president said tariffs on Chinese goods introduced earlier this month would “come down substantially” and promised a “fair deal with China,” claiming that he was “actively” engaging with Beijing.

“This is all fake news,” Guo said at a press briefing. “As far as I know, China and the US have not held consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue, let alone reached an agreement.”

Guo said Beijing remains open to dialogue but stressed that “the dialogue and negotiation must be equal, respectful and mutually beneficial.”

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He reiterated the Chinese position that the tariff conflict “was initiated by the US” and warned that Beijing is prepared to “fight to the end” against what it sees as unfair and illegal US trade practices.

Earlier this month, on what he called ‘Liberation Day’, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs, including 145% on Chinese imports.

The move was part of a broader campaign targeting more than 90 countries to address what Trump has characterized as unfair trade imbalances. While most new tariffs were paused for 90 days – with a baseline 10% still in place – China was excluded. Beijing responded by slapping 125% tariffs on US goods and restricting key exports.

Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have contributed to global market volatility. On Tuesday, the IMF downgraded its global growth forecast, citing trade uncertainty as a major drag on output. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook projects global GDP growth at 2.8% this year, down from 3.3% in 2024. It also cut the US growth forecast for 2025 to 1.8%, from 2.8% last year. China’s growth is expected to slow to 4% due to attempts to counter the effects of Washington’s tariffs.