China ‘evaluating’ US offer to talk tariffs; warns against ‘extortion’

Beijing is “evaluating” an offer from Washington to hold talks over US President Donald Trump’s 145 per cent tariffs, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Friday, although it warned the United States not to engage in “extortion and coercion”. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a cat-and-mouse game over tariffs, with both sides unwilling to be seen to back down or be the first to come to the table to negotiate a trade war that has roiled global markets and upended supply chains. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the United States has approached China to seek talks over Trump’s tariffs, and Beijing’s door was open for discussions, signalling a potential de-escalation in the trade war. The statement comes a day after a social media account linked to Chinese state media said Washington had been seeking to start talks, and a week after Trump claimed discussions were already under way — a development denied by Beijing.