China is “evaluating” U.S. proposals to negotiate tariffs, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Friday. This shift in tone could open the door to the world’s two largest economies to facilitate a trade war, which has put global markets into turmoil.
“The United States has adopted the initiative several times recently to convey its message to China through relevant various related topics and expressed its desire to talk to China,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also said that Beijing is “evaluating this.”
But while Beijing appears to accept negotiations open, China’s Ministry of Commerce warned that it won’t be forced to commit bad deals. “Trying to use conversation as an excuse for coercion and blackmail is not working,” the ministry said, according to a Reuters translation.
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he believes Beijing is seeking a deal with the United States
“I believe the Chinese will want to reach an agreement. As I said, it will be a multi-step process. First, we need to downgrade. Then, over time, we will start focusing on bigger trade deals.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke at a briefing with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in Washington on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
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President Donald Trump announced global tariffs last month. He charges 145% of China’s imports. Meanwhile, Beijing imposes a 125% tariff on U.S. imports. However, the country has recently exempted tariffs on many American-made products.
According to Reuters, some drugs, microchips and aircraft engines have been exempted, but China has increased exemptions for ethane imports.
The change in Beijing’s message on tariffs is in stark contrast to the comments on April 23 at the United Nations Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on “the impact of unilateralism and bullying on international relations.” At that meeting, China accused the United States of using tariffs to bully the rest of the world.
The image split shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump. (XI Photo: Pedro Pardo – Pool/Getty Images | Trump Photo: chip somodevilla/getty Images)
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“For the sake of reciprocity and fairness, the United States is playing the zero-sum game, which essentially aims to subvert the existing international economic and trade order through tariffs, make the interests of the United States surpass the common interests of the international community, and promote the hegemonic ambitions of the United States at the cost of the legitimate interests of all countries.”
A State Department spokesman told Fox News Digital that the meeting was a “waste of time for UN Security Council members.” The spokesman also slammed the meeting as an example of China’s manipulation of “a multilateral system that supports its economic, political and security interests.”
