Beijing, June 3 (TNS): China on Sunday warned that all trade talks between Beijing and Washington will be void if the US sets up trade sanctions.
After talks between Vice Premier Liu He and US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, China said it was ready to boost imports from many countries.
Mr Ross’s China visit comes days after Washington threatened to impose extra tariffs on $50bn of Chinese goods.
Meanwhile, G7 nations have hit out at the US over its new steel and aluminium import tariffs.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned a trade war could begin in “a few days”.
On Saturday President Trump insisted on Twitter that the US had been “ripped off by other countries for years on trade”.
He says steel tariffs will protect US steelmakers, which he says are vital to national security. Mr Trump has also complained about barriers US firms face in Europe and elsewhere.
A statement released by the Chinese side at the talks with the US in Beijing said nothing specific about the outcome, and referred back to an agreement reached in Washington last month to increase purchase of US goods and services.
“To implement the consensus reached in Washington, the two sides have had good communication in various areas such as agriculture and energy, and have made positive and concrete progress while relevant details are yet to be confirmed by both sides,” the statement said.
