Beijing, 1 May: U.S. officials have reached out to their Chinese counterparts for talks regarding the steep tariffs that have disrupted markets and global supply chains, according to a Beijing-backed outlet citing sources on Thursday. The U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 145% on many Chinese products in April, to which Beijing responded with fresh tariffs of up to 125% on imports from the United States.
On Thursday, Yuyuan Tantian, a Chinese outlet affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, cited a source saying that Washington is “actively” reaching out to China “through multiple channels” for tariff negotiations. “From the perspective of negotiations, the U.S. is currently the more anxious party,” the outlet said on Weibo, a platform similar to X, aligning its commentary with news reports. It added that the Trump administration is under significant pressure.
AFP reached out to China’s foreign ministry for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has contacted the U.S. to initiate tariff negotiations. On Wednesday, Trump reiterated, “We have a very good chance of making a deal,” but added, “We’re going to do it on our terms, and it has to be fair,” during a town hall on News Nation.
Beijing has denied that any talks are currently taking place and has repeatedly urged the United States to engage in negotiations in a “fair, respectful, and reciprocal” manner. However, China has stated that it will fight a trade war “to the very end” if necessary. A video posted by China’s foreign ministry on social media this week vowed, “Never kneel down!”
