Beijing says US and China should make compromises in trade talks
Talks to reach a trade deal broke down last month after US officials accused China of backing away from commitments.
China and the United States should be willing to make compromises in trade talks and not insist only on what each side wants, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said on Monday.
Discussions between the Chinese and US trade teams are under way, Wang told a media briefing, without disclosing how or where the talks were taking place.
China and the US last week said they were reviving talks ahead of this week’s meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, giving a boost to financial markets hoping for a de-escalation in a trade war that is damaging the global economy.
Talks to reach a broad trade deal broke down last month after US officials accused China of backing away from previously agreed commitments.
Xi will meet Trump at the G20 summit in the Japanese city of Osaka at the end of the week.
Both the Chinese and US teams are making preparations for the Xi-Trump meeting, said China’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Jun at the briefing.
China has vowed to not give in on issues of principle nor succumb to US pressure.
Last month, Trump more than doubled import tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent. He has also threatened to impose tariffs on another $325bn of goods, covering nearly all the remaining Chinese imports into the US, including consumer products such as cellphones, computers and clothing.
Beijing retaliated with increased tariffs on $60bn worth of US goods.
Limited room for manoeuvre
The policy for manoeuvring for countries to cope with an economic slowdown is limited, said deputy governor of China’s central bank Chen Yulu, who was also present at the briefing.
Tariffs imposed by certain countries are a threat to the world economy, Wang said.
The Trump administration has accused China of failing to protect intellectual property rights, forced technology transfers and failing to provide a level playing field for US companies.
China has repeatedly promised to open its market wider to foreign investors and provide them with better services and treatment. China has also denied accusations of failing to protect intellectual property rights or of forcing foreign companies to transfer technology.