Chinese state media claims that the US contacted China for tariff talks

The US has requested tariff discussions with China, according to Chinese state media.

Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account connected to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, claims that the Trump administration has contacted China via a number of platforms in an attempt to negotiate the 145% tariffs placed on Chinese imports.

The Weibo account claimed, citing unnamed sources, that the US had “proactively” pursued talks with Beijing to resolve the tariff issue in a post on Thursday. The action follows President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose significantly higher tariffs on China, which raised fears of economic reprisals and heightened trade tensions.

China’s foreign ministry has refuted any such involvement, though. At a press briefing on Wednesday, spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, “As far as I know, there have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the US on tariffs.”

In an interview with US media last Friday, Trump claimed that his administration was in talks with China and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had phoned him directly. Beijing has disputed this allegation on multiple occasions. Chinese officials maintain that no official talks are occurring and have accused Washington of “misleading the public.”