On Tuesday, China rejected comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. is being forced to make a trade deal because of China's slowing economy, as the two sides prepare for more talks.

Beijing and Washington have been locked in a stormy trade war that has seen them attack each other with tariffs covering more than 360 billion U.S. dollars in two-way trade.

On Monday, China published data showing its quarterly GDP growth had slipped to 6.2 percent.  This figure represented the slowest pace in China in nearly 30 years, even though economic growth would be the envy of most of the world,

After the publication of the trade figures, Trump tweeted: "China's 2nd Quarter growth is the slowest it has been in more than 27 years. The United States Tariffs are having a major effect on companies wanting to leave China for non-tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving. This is why China wants to make a deal...."

"...with the U.S., and wishes it had not broken the original deal in the first place. In the meantime, we are receiving Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China, with possibly much more to come. These Tariffs are paid for by China devaluing & pumping, not by the U.S. taxpayer!"

Beijing rejects Trump's claims

"It's completely misleading to say, as the U.S. side does, that because of its economic slowdown, China is eager to reach an agreement," said Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a regular press conference on Tuesday.

"I would like to once again call on the U.S. to work together with China, to meet halfway, and to strive for a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement, on the basis of mutual respect and equality."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday that top American and Chinese trade negotiators are due to speak by telephone "this week," the second such call in two weeks.

Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had a phone conversation last week with China's Vice Premier Liu He and Commerce Minister Zhong Shan.

Geng said that an economic agreement was in the interest of both sides, and "by no means a unilateral request of the Chinese side."

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume trade talks during a meeting in Osaka, Japan, last month.

Economists challenge Trump's comments

Trump's comments were immediately challenged by economists, pointing out that China's economy was still growing four times as fast as that of the U.S. and that the tariffs imposed on Chinese goods were hitting Americans. Trevor Greetham at the Royal London Asset Management said: "Sorry to break it to you but tariffs are paid by the importer – U.S. taxpayers in this instance," The Guardian reported. 

(With input from AFP)