China ‘won’t surrender’ to pressure in US trade war

(Beijing) REUTERS: China warned yesterday that it will “never surrender to external pressure” after the United States ordered tariffs on almost all Chinese exports.

The latest round of trade negotiations ended Friday without a deal, with President Donald Trump increasing tariffs on US $ 200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent and ordering the start of a process to impose new duties on another US $ 300 billion.

China vowed last week to hit back with the “necessary countermeasures”, though it has yet to specify what they will look like.

“China will never surrender to external pressure,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing yesterday.

“We are determined to have the ability to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.”

“We have said many times that imposing tariffs will not solve any problems,” Geng said, adding that China hoped the United States will work with Beijing to reach a “mutually beneficial and win-win agreement.”

China’s top trade negotiator, Liu He, said Friday that talks would continue in Beijing at an unspecified date.

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told US media Sunday that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet next month on the sidelines of the G20 summit to hash out their differences on trade, although no new talks are scheduled.

“The two presidents maintain contact through various means,” Geng said, without confirming a possible meeting between the two leaders.

Beijing has so far slapped tariffs on US $ 110 billion worth of US goods in retaliation to the US punitive duties.

A further US $ 50 billion in Chinese goods, which were already hit with 25 percent tariffs last summer, were left unchanged by Trump.