China 'firmly rejects' US claim that it violated tariff deal

Beijing and Washington past period agreed to slash staggeringly precocious tariffs connected each different for 90 days. Photo: Hector RETAMAL / AFP
Source: AFP

China said Monday it "firmly rejects" US claims that it had violated a sweeping tariffs deal, arsenic tensions betwixt the 2 economical superpowers showed signs of ratcheting backmost up.

Beijing and Washington past period agreed to slash staggeringly precocious tariffs connected each different for 90 days aft talks betwixt apical officials successful Geneva.

But apical Washington officials past week accused China of violating the deal, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying Beijing was "slow-rolling" the statement successful comments to "Fox News Sunday".

China deed backmost Monday, saying Washington "has made bogus charges and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is earnestly contrary to the facts".

"China firmly rejects these unreasonable accusations," its commerce ministry said successful a statement.

US President Donald Trump said past week that China had "totally violated" the deal, without providing details.

Beijing's commerce ministry said it "has been steadfast successful safeguarding its rights and interests, and sincere successful implementing the consensus".

It fired backmost that Washington "has successively introduced a fig of discriminatory restrictive measures against China" since the Geneva talks.

The ministry cited export controls connected artificial quality chips, curbs connected the merchantability of spot plan bundle and the revocation of Chinese pupil visas successful the United States.

"We impulse the US to conscionable China halfway, instantly close its wrongful actions, and jointly uphold the statement from the Geneva commercialized talks," the ministry said.

If not, "China volition proceed to resolutely instrumentality beardown measures to uphold its morganatic rights and interests," it added.

Trump-Xi talks?

US officials person said they are frustrated by what they spot arsenic Chinese foot-dragging connected approving export licences for uncommon earths and different elements needed to marque cars and chips.

But Washington's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looked to easiness the unit connected Sunday, saying the 2 sides could put a telephone betwixt their respective heads of authorities to resoluteness their differences.

"I'm confident... this volition beryllium ironed out" successful a telephone betwixt Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Bessent said connected CBS's "Face the Nation".

He added, however, that China was "withholding immoderate of the products that they agreed to release", including uncommon earths.

On erstwhile a Trump-Xi telephone could instrumentality place, Bessent said: "I judge we volition spot thing precise soon."

China has been little forthcoming, and the commerce ministry's connection connected Monday did not notation immoderate planned conversations betwixt the 2 leaders.

The Geneva woody was "an important statement reached by the 2 sides connected the rule of communal respect and equality, and its results were hard-won", the ministry said.

It warned Washington against "going its ain mode and continuing to harm China's interests".

Global stocks finished mixed connected Friday aft Trump made his societal media station accusing Beijing.

The Hong Kong banal speech was down astir 2 percent soon aft opening connected Monday.

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Source: AFP