US President Donald Trump said he is reluctant to continue to increase their duties to Chinabecause this could delay trade between the two countries, and insisted that Beijing has repeatedly approached China in an attempt to mediate for an agreement.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office yesterday, Thursday (17.4.2025) said, officials who believed they were representing China’s leader Xi Jinping had tried to start talks. But he repeatedly avoided immediate questions about whether he and Si had come into direct contact on the issue of duties.
“I have a very good relationship with President Xi and I think it will continue. And I would say we have come into contact several times, “Trump said. When asked if Si himself had contacted him immediately or if he was Chinese officials, Trump replied: “Well, the same. I see it very similar. Would be the highest levels of China. ” “If you knew him,” Trump continued, referring to Si, “you would know that if they contacted him, he knew exactly. He knew everything about it, he manages it very strictly, very loud, very smart. “
The US and China escalated import duties in an economic conflict between the two superpowers, in the context of a wider wave of sweeping duties that Trump seeks to impose on major commercial partners. It uploaded new contributions to a total of 145% to Chinese products, while Beijing has retaliated with 125% duties to the US.
Trump said on Thursday that he was reluctant to continue to increase these duties – and implied that he could be open to their reduction. “From one point on, I don’t want to go up, because from one point onwards you do not buy people. Therefore, I may not want to rise higher, or I may not even want to reach this level, “Trump said.
“I may want to go to lower levels, because you know, you want people to buy.” Even with duel duties at strikingly high levels, the two countries publicly appeared to dig with the White House saying that China should first reach Beijing and saying it was not clear about the US demands.
However, Trump expressed his confidence in an agreement that would include commercial concessions and an agreement on the sale of Tiktok’s assets to the US. “Well, we have an agreement on Tiktok, but it will be subject to China, so we will delay the deal until this thing works,” he said.
Trump had previously stated that China’s objections to his new duties delayed an agreement on the sale of Tiktok and maintaining the operation of the popular US video exchange application. “I think it’s a good deal for China,” Trump said. “Tiktok is good for China. And I think they would like to see us to make a deal, especially the deal we have pretty much done with some of the best companies in the world. “
Asked by a journalist if he would take into account the duties if China signed the divestment of the BYTEDANCE LTD application activities. In the US, Trump said it would be something he could discuss with Beijing. “It’s natural – if we make a deal. I guess we’ll devote five minutes to talk about Tiktok. It won’t take much time, “he said.