BANGKOK (AP) \u2014 China on Thursday denied any suggestion that it was in active negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs, saying that any notion of progress in the matter was as groundless as \u201ctrying to catch the wind.\u201d <\/p>\n
China\u2019s comments come after Trump said Tuesday that things were going \u201cfine with China\u201d and that the final<\/a> tariff rate on Chinese exports would come down \u201csubstantially\u201d from the current 145%.<\/p>\n Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China\u2019s Foreign Ministry, said during a daily briefing on Thursday that, \u201cFor all I know, China and the U.S. are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs, still less reaching a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChina\u2019s position is consistent and we are open to consultations and dialogues, but any form of consultations and negotiations must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and in an equal manner,\u201d Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said. <\/p>\n \u201cAny claims about the progress of China-U.S. trade negotiations are groundless as trying to catch the wind and have no factual basis,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n Trump had told reporters earlier in the week that \u201ceverything\u2019s active\u201d when asked if he was engaging with China, although his treasury secretary had said there were no formal negotiations. <\/p>\n Asked Thursday about China denying there were any conversations ongoing with the U.S., Trump said \u201cThey had a meeting this morning,\u201d before adding, \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter who they is.\u201d <\/p>\n The U.S. president has expressed interest in a way to climb down from his massive retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports to the U.S. There are mounting business and consumer concerns that the taxes will drive up inflation and potentially send the economy into a recession.<\/p>\n Trump had put 145% tariffs on imports from China, while China hit back<\/a> with 125% tariffs on U.S. products. While Trump has given other countries a 90-day pause on the tariffs, as their leaders pledged to negotiate with the U.S., China remained the exception. Instead, Beijing raised its own tariffs and deployed other economic measures in response while vowing to \u201cfight to the end.\u201d For example, China restricted exports of rare earth minerals<\/a> and raised multiple cases against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization.<\/p>\n China also made it clear that talks should involve the cancellation of all tariffs it currently faces. <\/p>\n \u201cThe unilateral tariff increase measures were initiated by the United States. If the United States really wants to solve the problem, it should face up to the rational voices of the international community and all parties at home, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find ways to resolve differences through equal dialogue,\u201d said He, the Commerce Ministry spokesman. <\/p>\n