China Calls for Cancellation of U.S. Tariffs

By Yukun Zhang, Jing Xu and Lewis Jackson

BEIJING (Reuters) – China called for all “unilateral” U.S. tariffs to be canceled on Thursday, as signs emerged that the Trump administration may de-escalate its trade war with Beijing.

China clarified that it has not held trade talks with Washington despite repeated comments from the U.S. government suggesting there had been engagement.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. would reach a deal with China and indicated on Wednesday that there was “direct contact” between the two countries. Trump, who labels his tariffs as “reciprocal,” argues that the duties aim to correct unfair trade imbalances.

Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong stated that the U.S. should remove all “unilateral tariff measures” against China “if it truly wanted” to resolve the trade issue. “The person who tied the bell must untie it,” he remarked during a regular press conference.

Reports indicated that the Trump administration is considering lowering tariffs on imported Chinese goods from the current level of 145% to possibly between 50% and 65%, pending negotiations with Beijing.

He urged the U.S. to heed the “rational voices” of the international community and domestic parties. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that consultations or negotiations on tariffs had not occurred, calling reports of any such information “false news”.

Additionally, China hosted a roundtable on Wednesday to discuss concerns from over 80 foreign firms regarding the impact of U.S. tariffs on their investments and operations. Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji expressed hope that foreign firms could “turn crises into opportunities,” promising to address their challenges.

In Washington, China’s central bank Governor Pan Gongsheng reiterated China’s commitment to supporting free trade rules and the multilateral trading system in comments made at a G20 meeting during the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.