China signals potential trade talks for the first time

Chinese authorities said on Friday they are evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the United States, marking the first and clearest indication that Beijing may be open to dialogue after Washington's unilateral tariffs. Senior US officials have reached out recently through relevant parties multiple times, hoping to start negotiations with China on tariffs, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. "China is currently assessing the situation, but our position has always been clear," the spokesperson said. "If it's a fight, we'll fight to the end. If it's a talk, the door is wide open".

Beijing stressed that the tariff war was launched unilaterally by the US and that any return to the negotiating table must be met with "genuine sincerity" from Washington. That includes correcting past missteps and rolling back the unilateral tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. "Saying one thing and doing another—or even trying to use talks as a cover for coercion and blackmail—won't work with China," the spokesman added.