China asks US to cancel tariffs if it wants trade talks

China has urged the United States to lift sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports as a show of good faith, signaling that President Donald Trump must make the first move if he's serious about resolving the ongoing trade war.

Despite claims from the Trump administration suggesting otherwise, Chinese officials stated that no trade talks have taken place between the two economic superpowers.

As tensions continue to rise, Beijing has escalated its retaliation by sending back Boeing planes ordered from the US. Meanwhile, Trump has shown signs of softening his position, hinting that the tariffs “will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.”

In one of the strongest statements yet from Beijing, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said the US must remove all “unilateral tariff measures” if it truly wants to find a resolution.

“The person who tied the bell must untie it,” He added, using a Chinese proverb to emphasize that the onus is on Washington to reverse its own policies.

Echoing the sentiment, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed that “China and the US have not conducted consultations or negotiations on tariffs, let alone reached any agreement.” He dismissed reports to the contrary as “false.”

While Trump has claimed that trade negotiations with China are “active,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent contradicted him on Wednesday, stating that no talks had started yet.