The United States government says it is open to negotiations with China as tariff tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said Trump firmly believes that the ball is in China’s court to negotiate the trade war between the two countries.
Trump had drawn first blood, imposing tariffs on China from a baseline of 10 percent to 125 percent.
But Chinese President Xi Jinping has proven tough, resisting pressure to join other nations that sought a deal with Trump after the global blitz of tariffs.
Advertisement
Instead, Beijing hit back with a 125 percent retaliatory tariff on the US.
Trump is now burdened with multiple calls from economists who have stressed the need for a de-escalation of the clash with China before it inflicts deep damage on the US economy.
At the press briefing, the White House spokesperson said the next move is left to China.
Advertisement
“I do have an additional statement that he (Trump) just shared with me in the Oval Office,” Leavitt said.
“‘The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them.
“There’s no difference between China and any other country, except that they are much larger, and China wants what we have, what every country wants, what we have: the American consumer, or to put it another way, they need our money.
“The president, again, has made it quite clear that he’s open to a deal with China. So, China needs to make a deal with the United States of America.”
Advertisement
The US and Chinese economies are intertwined. The US relies on China for consumer electronics, rare earth minerals, pharmaceuticals, and other basic staples of daily life, including clothing and shoes.
The US exports agricultural commodities such as soybeans and sorghum to China.
China has vowed to fight to the end, insisting that it is not afraid.
Meanwhile, Leavitt said Trump is “actively” assessing several trade deal proposals from countries.
Advertisement
