At a regular press briefing this week, spokesperson He Yongqian from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Beijing has kept working-level communication flowing with its U.S. counterpart. "China's position has been consistent – it remains open to engaging in economic and trade consultations with the U.S. side," she told reporters.
He urged Washington to drop what she called its "maximum pressure tactics" and resolve disputes through "equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect." Quoting an old Chinese saying, "It is the doer of the deed who must undo it," she stressed that the unilateral tariffs were initiated by the U.S. and should be rolled back by the U.S. side.
The backdrop to this move is a sharp escalation in duties: the U.S. first hiked "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese imports to 125 percent, then slapped up to 245 percent on certain products. In response, China announced on April 11 it would match the 125 percent rate on U.S. goods, adding that any further U.S. hikes made "no economic sense."
Calling the U.S. measures a "meaningless tariff game," the Ministry accused the U.S. of weaponizing duties into an "irrational" tool of pressure. Despite the heated rhetoric, both sides remain in contact at the technical level, a sign that dialogue channels are still open.
As global businesses and markets watch closely, many analysts say a face-to-face meeting between trade officials could be the next step. For now, young entrepreneurs, travelers, and policy wonks around the world are weighing how this tit-for-tat could reshape supply chains, prices, and digital services. The message from Beijing is clear: talk first, tariff second.
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Commerce ministry maintains working-level communication with U.S. side
cgtn.com
