US reached out to Beijing to initiate tariff talks, says Chinese state media
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The US government recently reached out to China though various channels, said Yuyuantantian, a Weibo account affiliated with CCTV.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – US President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking contact with Beijing to initiate talks on the massive tariffs Washington has imposed on China
The US government recently reached out to China though various channels, said Yuyuantantian, a Weibo account affiliated with China Central Television that regularly signals Beijing’s views on trade, in a post.
It cited unidentified people with knowledge of the matter, providing no further details.
The post casts a different light on behind-the-scenes manoeuvring between the world’s two largest economies.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said President Xi Jinping needs to contact him in order to begin tariff talks, and earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it is up to Beijing to take the first step to de-escalate the dispute.
Mr Trump argued on April 30 during a Cabinet meeting that a recent fall in cargo flows indicated that Beijing would soon need to engage with him.
The President said he was “not happy” with the sharp decline in trade between the two nations because he wanted “China to do well” while treating the US fairly.
Mr Trump later on April 30 expressed confidence that he would eventually speak with Mr Xi, despite the Chinese leader’s reluctance to engage directly with his counterpart.
“It’ll happen,” Mr Trump said.
Yuyuantantian said in the post: “China doesn’t need to talk to the US until it takes meaningful measures.”
From a negotiation standpoint, the US is “clearly the more anxious party at the moment”, it added, citing the pressure the Trump administration faces on multiple fronts.
In Washington, official data showed the US economy contracted at the start of 2025
The data provided a first snapshot of ripple effects from Mr Trump’s trade policies.
At the same time, prices from some of the most popular sellers of made-in-China goods already suggest US shoppers will be paying a major portion of the bill despite Mr Trump’s claim that Beijing will bear the brunt of his 145 per cent tariffs. BLOOMBERG
