US President Donald Trump has said that it’s now up to China to decide whether to move forward with a trade agreement. His comments came after he criticized Beijing for backing out of a key Boeing deal.
Trump Criticizes China Over Boeing Deal
At a Tuesday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read Trump’s statement: “The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them.”
Trump accused China of failing to follow through on a major purchase, saying they bought only part of what they had committed to. He added that China had “zero respect” for the previous administration under Joe Biden.
US-China Tariff Tensions Continue
Trade tensions between the two countries have been escalating, with both sides increasing tariffs in quick response to each other’s moves. These actions have caused uncertainty in global stock markets. Investors are now urging both countries to reduce tensions to prevent further economic fallout.
China Reports Growth Amid Tariff Pressure
Despite the growing pressure, China announced a 5.4% growth in its economy for the first quarter. Officials said the strong numbers were due to exporters hurrying to ship goods before US tariffs were enforced.
Sheng Laiyun, a senior official from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, admitted, “The US tariffs will put certain pressures on our country’s foreign trade and economy.”
China Appoints New Trade Negotiator
In the middle of this trade conflict, China has appointed a new trade representative. Li Chenggang will take over from Wang Shouwen in the Ministry of Commerce.
Li, 58, has years of experience in international trade talks. He helped negotiate a 2020 trade agreement with the US and served as China’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization in 2021. He holds degrees in law from Peking University and in law and economics from the University of Hamburg.
Trump Pushes Tariffs
Since the beginning of the year, Trump has implemented heavy tariffs on Chinese imports. He also introduced a 10% baseline tariff on products from several US trading partners.
