President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that the United States is now in talks with China over tariffs, indicating possible progress in the current trade impasse. “Yeah, we’re talking to China,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office. “I would say they have reached out a number of times.”
Tariff Escalation Sparks Diplomatic Engagement
The remarks follow after Trump recently upped tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent, an act that drew retaliation from Beijing. The swift ramp-up came as a response to his broad “Liberation Day” tariffs, which attacked a broad base of global imports. Trump validated that the negotiations with China were conducted after new tariffs had already been applied.
Trump Dodges on Xi Jinping Talks
When asked directly if he has communicated with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump would not give a direct answer. “I’ve never said whether or not they’ve happened,” he replied. “It’s just not appropriate.” But when asked if Xi had called him personally, Trump suggested there was previous contact when he said, “You’d think it was pretty obvious that he has, but we will talk about that soon.”
Trade War Worries Global Markets
The intensifying tariff war between China and the U.S. unsettled the global financial markets and ignited worries over sustained trade unease between the two economic superpowers. Undeterred by this, Trump was upbeat. “I believe we are going to make a very good deal with China,” he stated as he hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House, during which time they also discussed easing U.S.-EU tariffs.
The continued exchange of words between the U.S. and China may be a key move to ease the looming trade tensions that have shaken global markets and strained diplomatic relations.
