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EconomyChina Economy

China welcomes ‘actions that avoid US trade war dispute escalation’ ahead of Trump-Xi G20 meeting

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump are set to meet in Osaka, Japan on Saturday, with reports that details of a truce are being drafted
  • China Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng says Beijing opposes unilateral levying of additional tariffs

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The G20 will take place in Osaka, Japan between June 28-29. Photo: Xinhua
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China’s welcomes “actions that are helpful for managing differences and avoiding trade dispute escalation”, according to the Ministry of Commerce spokesman, in response to a South China Morning Post report that a truce in the trade war with the United States has been agreed ahead of this weekend’s G20 summit meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Japan.

According to three sources – one in Beijing and two in Washington – details of the agreement are being laid out which would lead to a resumption of talks and a suspension of planned US tariffs on US$300 billion worth of Chinese products.

Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said that China has always opposed bullying by unilaterally imposing tariffs, adding that detailed information will be released later when he was asked whether China and the US will reach a trade truce.

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Gao, speaking in Beijing on Thursday at the regular ministry press conference, also said that China hopes that the US will “immediately” lift its sanctions on companies including Huawei after the Trump administration blocked US companies from supplying the Chinese technology firm and some of its peers.

Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao said the sanctions not only impede legitimate interests of Chinese companies, but also interrupt normal technology and trade exchanges between the two countries as they “threaten the security of global value chain and supply chain … and can do good to no one.”

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