Tough-Talking China Could Be Opening the Door to Tariff Talks

China may be warming to the possibility of holding talks with the U.S. on tariffs, following a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Friday.

“The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the ministry statement translated by Reuters said, adding that Beijing was “evaluating this.”

What observers are calling a “shift in tone” may present an off ramp for the world’s two largest economies to avoid an ongoing trade war that has impacted markets worldwide.

However, the ministry also warned that “attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work.”

BBG: China Quietly Exempts About a Quarter of U.S. Imports from Tariffs pic.twitter.com/cQYCBwdIhP

— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) May 2, 2025

President Donald Trump’s decision to single Beijing out for import duties of 145 percent comes at a particularly difficult time for China, which is struggling with deflation due to sluggish economic growth and a prolonged property crisis, analysts say. (Read more from “Tough-Talking China Could Be Opening the Door to Tariff Talks” HERE)