Mix-messages on next round of talks on US-China trade war

China 24

Mix-messages on next round of talks on US-China trade war

Confusion surrounding United States trade policy toward China.

President Trump took to Twitter, seeming to undermine his own officials over an offer of talks with Beijing.

It happened just hours after the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that they had received an invitation for talks from Washington.

CGTN’s Nathan King reports.

To talk or not to talk that is the $200 billion question. As the Trump administration prepares to impose tariffs on that amount of Chinese imports, there is talk about talks.

“Most of us believe it’s better to talk than not to talk, and I think the Chinese government is willing to talk. You could say that communication has picked up a notch,” Larry Kudlow, chief economic advisor to the Wall Street Journal said.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce then confirmed an invitation to talk.

“China has indeed received the U.S. invitation to hold trade talks, and we welcome that. The two sides are communicating over some specific details. We believe escalation of trade conflicts does not meet the interests of either party,” Gao Feng, spokesman for Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.

But then Thursday at the White House the U.S. President tweeted.

“The Wall Street Journal has it wrong, we are under no pressure to make a deal with China, they are under pressure to make a deal with us. Our markets are surging, theirs are collapsing. We will soon be taking in billions in tariffs & making products at home. If we meet, we meet,” said President Donald Trump via Twitter.

Trump suggesting that tariffs could soon be imposed, and failing to confirm the offer of talks with Beijing, is creating more confusion over United States trade policy.

If the latest round of tariffs of up to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports are imposed, it would be a dramatic escalation in this trade war. Many U.S. consumer goods like smartphones, laptops and headphones could see big price hikes just before the busy United States holiday shopping season. China has said it will respond once again.

There is huge push back against the president’s policy here in the United States contrary to the President’s tweet, there is growing domestic pressure to talk to Beijing, though previous talks have failed.

Amid the confusion, the American Chamber of Commerce in China says that nearly two-thirds of United States companies operating in China say they’ve been “negatively” affected by the trade war. Urging both nations to start negotiating again, the trade group says more United States tariffs will only make matters worse. Companies also say they are now experiencing more bureaucratic hurdles inside China.