China called on Thursday for the United States to show “mutual respect” in managing commercial tensions after President Donald Trump said a trade deal with Beijing was “possible”.
Photo: USGov. via Flickr.
Trump has threatened sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, including China, in the month since he took office.
But he suggested on Wednesday that a trade agreement with Beijing was “possible”, adding that the United States had already agreed to a “great trade deal with China” in 2020.
Asked on Thursday about Trump’s comments, Beijing’s foreign ministry said the two countries “should resolve their concerns through dialogue and consultation based on equality and mutual respect”.
“Trade and tariff wars have no winners and only serve to damage the interests of people all over the world,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular news briefing.
“We resolutely oppose the US side’s methods of unilateral tariff increases,” Guo said, adding that China would “continue to take necessary measures to resolutely uphold its own legitimate interests”.
US President Donald Trump signs executive orders on February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office, the White House, Washington, D.C. Photo: The White House, via Flickr.
China’s commerce ministry said at a separate news conference that Beijing “urges the US side not to wield the big stick of tariffs at every turn, using tariffs as a tool to engage in coercion all around”.
“The American side should correct its erroneous ways and work with all countries… to find solutions,” ministry spokesman He Yadong said.
