A defeated China? What’s really going on behind the negotiation with the US
US and Chinese officials have begun meeting in Geneva to negotiate a trade deal despite Beijing’s insistence that it would not be bullied with tariffs.
Beijing and Washington have been locking horns in a trade war over tariffs. The spat began when President Donald Trump slapped a 20% levy on goods imported from the Asian giant prompting an in-kind response.
The situation escalated from there, with the US currently imposing 145% on imports from China and some US exports to China facing a 125% levy. While Beijing has said that it would “fight till the end” and that capitulating to bullies is dangerous, it has agree to send officials to meet with US counterparts in Geneva, Switzerland.
Why has China agreed to meet with US to negotiate a trade deal?
Neither side has wanted to be seen as the first to blink in this latest trade war. In the leadup to the trade talks that began this weekend, a spokesperson for Beijing said the negotiations “are being held at the request of the US.”
Meanwhile, Trump told the press that “they ought to go back and study their files,” but added, “We can all play games. Who made the first call… it doesn’t matter. It only matters what happens in that room.”
Beijing has become more receptive as concerns grow in China about the impact of the tariffs are having on businesses and the economy. Furthermore, Chinese officials are worried about the risk of isolation reports Reuters as their trading partners have begun to negotiate with Washington.
It also helped that Trump has softened his rhetoric about China, officials told the outlet. However, China’s foreign ministry in a statement to Reuters reiterated his nation’s “firm opposition to the US abuse of tariffs is consistent and clear, and there is no change.”
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