China sets conditions for talks with Trump administration - Bloomberg
Photo: Donald Trump and Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
China wants to see a series of steps from President Donald Trump's administration before Beijing agrees to trade talks with the United States, Bloomberg reports.
Beijing is demanding more respect and restraint of disparaging remarks by members of Trump's cabinet, a source in Beijing told the agency. This may include "ignorant" statements by Vice President J.D. Vance about "Chinese peasants."
Other conditions include a more consistent US position and a willingness to allay China's fears about US sanctions and Taiwan, the source said.
According to the source, Beijing also wants the US to appoint a negotiator who has the president's support and can help prepare an agreement that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping can sign during the meeting.
Trade war
The fate of the global economy and financial markets largely depends on whether the US and China can find a way to avoid a protracted trade war. Trump imposed 145% tariffs on China, prompting Beijing to retaliate. This threatens to destroy most of the trade between the world's largest economies.
The US tariffs have sparked widespread public support in China for retaliatory measures, giving Xi a political incentive to reject Trump's repeated demands for a phone call. On April 15, the US president again called on China to contact him to begin negotiations to resolve the trade war.
China demands respect
According to a person familiar with Beijing's position, the most important precondition for any negotiations is that Chinese officials must be confident that such engagement will be conducted respectfully.
According to the source, while Trump has been relatively restrained in his public statements against Xi Jinping, other members of his administration have been more belligerent, leaving officials in Beijing unsure of the US position.
Officials in Beijing believe that Trump has enormous control over this administration. As a result, when US officials make harsh statements about China and Trump does not disavow those views, Chinese officials assume that the president approves of their position, the source said.
Vance's statements
Although the source did not name specific comments by administration officials, Beijing recently expressed marked dissatisfaction with Vice President J.D. Vance's comments about "Chinese peasants." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian last week called the remarks "ignorant and disrespectful," a rare direct rebuke to a senior US leader.
Last week, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, announcing a 90-day pause on duties on dozens of other countries' goods. This prompted Beijing to raise duties on American goods to 125%. Trade is impossible with such tariffs.
