‘Fake news’: China dismisses claims of US trade talks

China’s Ministry of Commerce has said there have been no trade negotiations with the United States, saying any claims of progress on bilateral talks have “no factual basis” in a press conference on Thursday.

“If the US truly wants to resolve the issue, it should heed rational voices from the international community and domestic stakeholders, completely abolish all unilateral tariffs on China, and find a solution through equal dialogue,” said ministry spokesman He Yadong.

In statements this week, US President Donald Trump appeared willing to reconsider the high tariffs he has levied on Chinese goods since the beginning of his second term. He has also suggested senior officials from Beijing had been in contact with Washington to start laying the groundwork for discussions on the matter.

Trump continued to press for talks on Wednesday. “Maybe we’ll make a special deal, and we’ll see what it will be,” he said. “Right now, [the tariffs are] 145 per cent, that’s very high.”

And at a closed-door meeting with investors on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intimated the heated conflict had reached its peak.

“No one thinks the current status quo is sustainable, at 145 and 125 [per cent], so I would posit that over the very near future, there will be a de-escalation,” he said referring to the top end of most of the tariffs that Trump has put on imports from China and vice versa, respectively. “We have an embargo now on both sides.”