Alwaght- China is committed to resolving the trade dispute with the US but is also prepared to defend its interests in the face of any increase in US trade tariffs, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
At a press conference in Beijing, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims that China had broken its promises, saying it sincerely has been trying to resolve trade differences with the United States.
“The US has assigned a lot of labels, such as backtracking, going back on one’s word, and so on. Lots of [broken] promises have been foisted on China,” said Gao. “China is committed and has kept its promises, and this has never changed.”
“Negotiation is a process of exchanging opinions and reaching consensus. It is normal to have different views.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10% to 25% at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.
Beijing responded just minutes after the tariffs went into effect.
"China expresses deep regret over the development and will have to take necessary countermeasures," the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Friday afternoon. "We hope the United States will meet us halfway, and work with us to resolve existing issues through cooperation and consultation."
