America has responded, Trump said that China and the US have already started communication! On April 17th, US President Trump said that China had proactively sought negotiations regarding the tariff issue. Trump claimed that after he significantly increased the "reciprocal tariff" on Chinese imports to 145%, the two sides began to engage in contact. We are currently negotiating with them. They have contacted us many times. Trump also told the media that the "reciprocal tariff" imposed by the US on Chinese goods might not increase further and could even decrease.
Regarding the highest-level phone call between China and the US, Trump stated that I have never said whether or not we have talked over the phone. It is not suitable for public disclosure. Clearly, Trump's statement was intended to suggest that China had proactively reached out to the US. Of course, whether there has been contact between China and the US or not, from the exposed news, it is very likely that the two sides have indeed made contact. Previously, the US Treasury Secretary mentioned that contact had been made through intermediaries. Our relevant departments confirmed that the communication and dialogue at the working level have been ongoing.
Just a few days ago, US media also revealed that China had set conditions for negotiations with the US. These conditions include the US promising to respect the other side and restraining cabinet members' derogatory remarks. China hopes the US will appoint a liaison officer who can receive Trump's support and negotiate with China, among other things. Of course, whether or not China proactively sought negotiations as Trump claimed, we do not know. Considering that Trump has every motive to place himself in a favorable position, him unilaterally releasing such statements is not impossible.
Now that Trump has actively released the message that communication between China and the US is underway, this undoubtedly indicates that the US has accepted our negotiation prerequisites. America has caught the ball. In the future, the US is very likely to appoint a negotiator or have the US Treasury Secretary conduct pragmatic negotiations with us. From our perspective, initiating communication with the US is not problematic. For the US, we originally had plans for both fighting and negotiating. For us, we can allow the US to save face and give them a way down the ladder, but internally, we will certainly defend our interests.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829697487589385/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.