Commerce Ministry on Friday said it was “currently evaluating” an offer on .
“If the wants to talk, it should show its sincerity to do so, be prepared to correct its wrong practices and cancel unilateral tariffs,” the ministry said.
“In any possible dialogue or talks, if the US side does not correct its wrong unilateral tariff measures, it just means the US side is completely insincere and will further damage the mutual trust between the two sides,” it added.
Tariff impositions
The US had levied high tariffs reaching up to 145% on many Chinese products by April, and Beijing had retaliated by imposing 125% tariffs on imports from the US.
“Saying one thing and doing another or even attempting coercion and blackmail under the guise of talks will not work,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry statement said.
had previously said Beijing had reached out to the US about tariffs and said this week that there was a “very good chance we’re going to make a deal.”
Washington had given a temporary reprieve to tariffs on high-end tech goods such as , semiconductors and computers.
Trump’s aggressive tariff policies on almost all countries have left China, the EU and other nations looking for other trade partners.
Beijing has been one of the strongest voices in its response to tariffs levied by the Trump administration. This week, the Foreign Ministry posted a video on social media vowing to “never kneel down!”
However, the tariffs have affected global markets with China’s factory activity slowing down in April. But China’s exports rose by more than 12% in March with businesses trying to get ahead of volatility as Trump’s 90-day deadline looms ahead.
US hopeful for progress with China
In Washington, officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, have also expressed hope for progress in easing trade tensions.
“I am confident that the Chinese will want to reach a deal. And as I said, this is going to be a multi-step process. First, we need to de-escalate, and then … we will start focusing on a larger trade deal,” Bessent told Fox Business Network this week.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
The post China wants ‘sincerity’ as it evaluates tariff offer from the US appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
