Trump claims China talks as Beijing denies negotiations

US President Donald Trump claimed in an interview published on April 25th that tariff negotiations with China were under way, although Beijing swiftly denied that any talks were taking place, adding to a series of conflicting signals over efforts to ease a trade war threatening to undermine global growth, as reported by AL24 News. 

Speaking to TIME magazine, Trump said negotiations were ongoing and that the President of China, Xi Jinping, had telephoned him, a claim he repeated to reporters as he departed the White House on April 26th morning en route to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. 

“China and the US are NOT having any consultation or negotiation on #tariffs,” China responded in a foreign ministry statement posted by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

“The US should stop creating confusion.” 

Later on April 25th, addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said it would represent a victory if China agreed to open its markets to US products, suggesting tariffs could facilitate such an outcome. 

“Free up China. You know, let us go in and work China,” he said. “That would be great. That would be a big win, but I’m not even sure I’m going to ask for it because they don’t want it open.” 

On April 26th, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated Beijing’s position, stating that China abides by international rules on US-imposed tariffs and would seek greater solidarity with other nations. 

“Certain countries adhere to their own priorities, engage in bullying pressure and coercive transactions, and provoke trade wars for no reason, exposing their extreme egoism,” Wang said on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Kazakhstan, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry. 

The conflicting messages only deepen the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s unpredictable tariff policy, not only with respect to China but also for dozens of other countries seeking to negotiate deals to mitigate the impact of the substantial import taxes he has implemented since returning to office in January. 

Trump’s negotiating team conducted a rapid series of trade talks with international officials gathered in Washington for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group. 

While Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, pointed to signs of swift progress, many foreign counterparts remained cautious.

Finance chiefs attending the IMF meetings were returning home with a heightened sense of urgency to counter the risks posed by tariffs. 

“I’m walking away from these meetings with a clear sense of everything that is at stake and the risks that are there for jobs, for growth, for living standards all over the world,” Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told Reuters. 

“The meetings here… reminded me of why we need to leave no stone unturned in the next few weeks and months to see how we can reduce that uncertainty.” 

 AL24 News. Reuters. Maghrebi