Beijing _ Agencies
China said on Tuesday that it is impossible to continue trade negotiations with the United States while the "sword is on its neck" after new U.S. customs duties on Chinese goods worth 200 billion dollars a year came into effect.
"The United States has just adopted major new trade restrictions," said Chinese Vice minister of Commerce Wang Shuen at a press conference. How can negotiations be conducted and the sword hanging on our neck like this? Negotiations and consultations will not be conducted in a climate of calm. "
The trade war between the United States and China escalated on Monday as the new US tariffs of 10 percent entered Chinese goods worth 200 billion dollars a year.
Beijing promised to respond immediately by imposing a fee of 5 or 10 percent on US products worth 60 million dollars a year.
US Treasury Secretary Stephen Menuchen has been in contact with his Chinese counterparts to resume bilateral negotiations on trade disputes. But the new customs duties imposed by President Donald Trump seem to have undermined this initiative.
The Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce met with us negotiators in August in Washington on August. But no high-level meeting has been held in months.
"These consultations have resulted in many understandings and even were the subject of a joint statement," Wang Shuen said Tuesday. But the United States rejected this understanding and took restrictive trade measures. "
"In this atmosphere, the continuation of the negotiations is not possible," he added.
