China says it’s evaluating US overtures for trade talks, but tariffs remain obstacle

BEIJING — China’s Commerce Ministry said Friday that Beijing is evaluating multiple approaches by the Trump administration for trade talks.

However, in a ministry statement it said one-sided tariffs of up to 145% remain an obstacle, undermining trust.

The statement reiterated China’s stance that is open to talks, but also that Beijing is determined to fight if it must.

“The tariff and trade wars were unilaterally initiated by the U.S., if the U.S. side wants to talk, it should show its sincerity, and be ready to take action on issues such as correcting wrong practices and canceling the unilateral imposition of tariffs,” it said.

The statement cited an unnamed ministry spokesperson as saying that Beijing had taken note of various statements by senior U.S. officials indicating a willingness to negotiate over tariffs.

“At the same time, the U.S. has recently taken the initiative to convey information to the Chinese side on a number of occasions through relevant parties, hoping to talk with the Chinese side. In this regard, the Chinese side is making an assessment, it said.

But it emphasized that China would regard overtures without a change in President Donald Trump’s sharp tariff hikes as insincere.

“Saying one thing but doing another, or even attempting to engage in coercion and blackmail under the guise of talks, will not work on the Chinese side,” it said.

China is in the midst of a public holiday, with government offices closed.

Beijing has responded to Trump’s tariff hikes by raising its own duties on imports of U.S. products to as high as 125%. It has also tightened restrictions on exports to the U.S. of certain strategically important minerals and stopped importing a wide range of U.S. farm products.