Hong Kong
CNN
—
China says it is “currently assessing” proposals by the United States to begin trade talks, in a subtle tone shift that could open the door for negotiations.
A spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry said in a Friday statement that “the US has recently sent multiple messages to China through relevant parties, hoping to start talks with China. China is currently evaluating this.”
The comments signal a softening in Beijing’s position, which has been steadfastly defiant amid heightened tensions with the US because of President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
Trump has been repeatedly saying since last week that his administration was in talks with Chinese officials to strike a trade deal — only to be met with flat denials from Beijing each time.
On Friday, Beijing reiterated that any negotiations would require some preconditions to be met.
“The tariff and trade war was unilaterally initiated by the US, and if it wants to negotiate, it must demonstrate genuine sincerity — that includes being prepared to correct its wrongdoings and cancel its unilateral tariff hikes,” the spokesperson said. “China’s position remains consistent: If it’s a fight, we will see it through to the end. If it’s talk, the door is open.”
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump’s tariffs have hurt the Chinese economy, causing job losses, and that Beijing is eager to talk. “The Chinese are reaching out, they want to meet, they want to talk,” he said in an interview with Fox News, adding that trade talks “will come up soon.”
Vast flows of trade between the world’s two largest economies are at stake, after Trump hiked tariffs on China to a staggering 145% earlier this month, making it difficult for some Chinese businesses to continue trading with the United States. In response, Beijing has raised tariffs on American imports to 125%.
Already, Trump’s tariffs have taken a heavy toll on China’s export- and manufacturing-reliant economy, with orders being cut and factory production halted. The world’s second-largest economy reported on Wednesday that factory activity contracted in April, at its fastest pace in 16 months, indicating the level of damage that sky-high tariffs have already inflicted.
While major American retailers such as Walmart and Target have resumed some business with Chinese suppliers, many factories are still idle and exploring alternative markets like Europe.
Imports to the United States during the second half of 2025 are expected to fall at least 20% year over year, according to the National Retail Federation. The decline from China will be even starker: JP Morgan expects a 75% to 80% drop in imports from there.
Beijing’s newest comments followed days of back-and-forth between American and Chinese officials over whether talks were underway, with neither side wanting to appear as if they were the first to back down.
Last week, Trump appeared to have softened his tone, saying that astronomical US tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially” and promising to be “very nice” at the negotiating table as he attempts to get Chinese leader Xi Jinping to initiate talks.
But Trump’s apparent willingness to deescalate the trade war was dismissed by Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded that the US remove all tariffs on Chinese goods as a precondition for starting trade talks. On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry shared a striking social media video, saying the country will not “kneel down” to America’s “bully” leader.
