China Repeatedly Denies Negotiations with the US…"Unaware of Specific Situations"

China has refuted President Donald Trump's claim that negotiations with China are underway, stating "do not cause confusion."

Guo Jiaqing, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular briefing on the 25th, "The US and China are not conducting any consultations or negotiations on tariff issues," and added, "The US should not cause confusion." China also stated the previous day that "the two countries have not conducted any consultations or negotiations on tariffs, and this is fake news."

On the other hand, President Trump claimed on the 24th (local time) that he had a meeting with China that morning. However, he avoided giving specific answers on whether to withdraw retaliatory tariffs on some US semiconductor products.

Spokesperson Guo, when asked whether China had exempted tariffs on some products, said, "I do not understand the specific situation," and advised to "inquire with the relevant department." He neither confirmed nor denied it.

CNN reported in an article from Hong Kong that Chinese companies in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, quietly withdrew a 125% retaliatory tariff on eight types of semiconductors manufactured in the US. Photos claiming that tariffs were exempted on semiconductor chips and equipment (lithography, etching, ion implantation) are spreading on social media in China. The authenticity has not been confirmed. Chinese economic media Caixin and others reported, citing industry insiders, that they have already been verbally notified of the related content.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that the Chinese government is considering deferring a 125% tariff on some US products, such as medical equipment and industrial chemicals. This seems to be due to the judgment that the cost pressure of the trade war is placing a heavy burden on certain industries.

Reporter Lee Song-ryeol, Hankyung.com yisr0203@hankyung.com