President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Chinese officials are prepared to return to the negotiating table, signaling there may be a path to a potential détente in his tit-for-tat trade war with Beijing.
“China called last night our top trade people and said, ‘Let’s get back to the table.’ They have been hurt very badly, but they understand this is the right thing to do and I have great respect for it,” Trump told reporters during a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G-7 summit.
“They want to make a deal,” Trump continued. “That’s a great thing.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang appeared to dispute Trump's claim that such phone conversations had taken place.
“I am not aware of the phone calls over the weekend you mentioned,” he said in response to a question at a Monday press briefing. “What I can say is that the trade differences should be solved through dialogue and consultation.“
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11.29.2024