China assessing U.S. messages of hoping to hold tariff talks: Commerce Ministry

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Friday it is evaluating possible trade talks with the U.S. following repeated comments by senior U.S. officials expressing a willingness to negotiate.

The ministry made the comment in a statement in response to a media query, adding that the U.S. has recently conveyed messages to China through various channels, expressing a desire to engage in dialogue. China is currently evaluating the situation.

China's position is consistent and clear: We will fight, if fight we must. Our doors are open, if the U.S. wants to talk, the ministry reiterated. It continued, saying that the tariff war was initiated by the U.S. and that if the U.S. wants to negotiate, it must demonstrate sincerity by correcting its wrongful practices and being prepared to cancel the unilateral tariff hikes.

The ministry also noted that the U.S. has hinted at possible adjustments to its tariff measures. However, it warned that any talks without a rollback of these erroneous tariff measures would be seen as insincere and would further harm mutual trust.