‘No more concessions’. Why is China playing hardball in trade war talks with the United States?
- Chinese state media and sources say China will give no more ground in the face of Trump’s tariff threats
- Liu He’s US trip confirmed for Thursday, and will be shorter than expected
Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He will go to the United States on Thursday to continue trade negotiations, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.
The trip, scheduled for two days, is shorter than expected. The South China Morning Post reported on Monday that Liu was preparing for the trip.
The trip comes as uncertainty hangs over the negotiations after US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would increase punitive tariffs on US$200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.
In a commentary published on its WeChat account on Tuesday, People’s Daily warned the US to “not even think about” concessions.
“When things are unfavourable to us, no matter how you ask, we will not take any step back. Do not even think about it,” the commentary said.
The article was first published through Taoran Notes, a social media account used by Beijing to signal the leadership’s thinking and manage domestic expectations.