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Chinese President Xi Jinping has criticized the ongoing trade war with the United States, warning that tariff-based altercations undermine global economic stability, violate the rights of nations, and threaten the multilateral trading system.
Some shit you should know before you read: Just to bring you up to speed, the current status of the US-China trade war remains tense and unresolved, despite a broader softening of US trade policy toward most other countries. While the Trump administration has reduced many of the tariffs on allied nations, tariffs on Chinese goods remain steep—currently sitting at up to 145%—with China maintaining retaliatory duties of up to 125% on American exports. The US has made clear that any path to tariff relief for China will require major concessions that go far beyond trade. Washington is demanding action on a wide range of issues, including curbing intellectual property theft, halting aggressive economic and political expansion in Central and South America, particularly near the Panama Canal, and ending cyberattacks targeting US infrastructure. In response, Beijing has accused the US of attempting to “contain” China’s rise and confine it within a “box,” framing these demands as an effort to suppress China’s sovereign development and global influence.
What’s going on now: During a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping criticized the ongoing tariff war, stating that “tariff wars and trade wars harm the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, undermine the multilateral trading system and impact the world economic order.” Xi called for cooperative diplomacy and warned against protectionist measures that destabilize global markets. He further noted that China is committed to working with international partners to “uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core… and safeguard international fairness and justice.”
The comments from Xi came as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors at a closed-door JP Morgan conference that the trade war with China was “unsustainable” and suggested that both sides could move toward de-escalation in the coming months. President Trump echoed this sentiment publicly, stating that the 145% tariffs on Chinese goods would eventually “come down substantially,” and said that the US would be “very nice” in future negotiations. However, he maintained that the final tariff level “won’t be zero” and reiterated longstanding grievances about China’s trade practices, military buildup, and unfair economic advantages.
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that while “the door for talks is wide open,” the US must stop using “threats and blackmail” if it truly wants a resolution. Guo noted that “continuing to exert extreme pressure is not the correct way to have dealings with China” and criticized the US for sending mixed signals—publicly expressing interest in diplomacy while continuing to escalate economic pressure.
