US President Donald Trump has delighted global investors with the possibility of a reduction in tariffs on Chinese imports. But his apparent willingness to de-escalate America’s trade war with the world’s second-biggest economy has been brushed off by government officials in China and ridiculed online as “chickening out.”
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office the astronomical tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially.” He even promised to eschew hardball tactics, vowing to be “very nice” at the negotiating table and pledged not to mention the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Beijing has remained unmoved by the overtures. Instead, it has demanded Trump remove all tariffs on China.
“As the saying goes, ‘He who tied the bell must untie it,’” He Yadong, a spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry told reporters Thursday.
“The unilateral tariff hikes were initiated by the US. If the US truly wants to resolve the issue, it should heed the rational voices of the international community and its own domestic stakeholders, fully remove all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find a way to resolve differences through equal dialogue,” he added.
Chinese officials also denied the two sides are speaking. Trump told reporters on Wednesday there were direct talks between US and Chinese officials “everyday” on trade, though he didn’t offer specifics.
“These are all fake news,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday when asked about the talks. “To my knowledge, China and the United States have not engaged in any consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue, let alone reached any agreement.”
Chinese experts who advise the government see Trump’s rhetorical climbdown as caving in to US domestic pressure and an attempt to placate the markets. They believe Beijing has the upper hand and is in no rush to make a deal with Trump.
Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University in Beijing, explained that, after weeks of posturing and contradictory messages, Chinese officials mistrust Trump.
“The pressure (on Trump) at home is mounting, and much of his current messaging is aimed at appeasing domestic concerns,” he told CNN, pointing to a slump on Wall Street and concerns about inflation. “He’s getting a bit flustered now. But China doesn’t buy into his talk about (substantially lowering) tariffs. He says one thing today and another tomorrow, maybe increasing them again the next day. He’s not trustworthy.”
Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said China is “in no rush” to talk and is well prepared to withstand economic pressure.