China is alarmed by the high US tariffs, which remain in force. Since US President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on China, Beijing has retaliated in kind. On state and social media, state authorities have posted images of Mao Zedong and sharply criticized Donald Trump's "imperialist" policies.
But behind closed doors, Reuters points out, Chinese officials have become increasingly alarmed about the economic impact of tariffs and the risk of isolation, as China's trading partners have begun negotiating deals with Washington. These factors, along with increased U.S. attention and a softening of Trump's rhetoric, convinced Beijing to send its economic czar He Lifeng for meetings with U.S. counterparts in Switzerland this weekend, the officials told Reuters.
The reengagement was complicated by the turbulent nature of US-China diplomacy. In particular, Beijing viewed a letter the US sent to Chinese ministries in late April about fentanyl as too “arrogant,” the two officials told Reuters. Efforts to hold talks were further hampered by disagreements over which officials should be involved.
China's reasons for the decision to negotiate, Washington's letter on fentanyl, US diplomatic challenges to Beijing and early contacts between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time, based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts from both sides.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said Friday that China has full confidence in its ability to handle U.S. trade issues, adding that the Trump administration's approach cannot be sustained.
The trade war between the world's two largest economies, combined with Trump's decision last month to impose tariffs on dozens of other countries, has disrupted supply chains, roiled financial markets and fueled fears of a sharp slowdown in global growth. (A2 Televizion)
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