China wants to reach a trade agreement with the US, according to head of state Xi Jinping, but is also not afraid to „fight back“ in the trade dispute. „As we’ve always said, we do not want to start the trade war, but we do not shy away from it,“ Xi said today at a meeting with former US officials, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and other foreign officials in Beijing.
It was working hard to avoid a „trade war,“ stressed Xi. The aim is an agreement based on „mutual respect and equality“.
China and the US – the world’s two largest economies – have been in a fierce trade dispute for more than a year, affecting the global economy as well. US President Donald Trump accuses China of unfair trading practices at the expense of US companies and the theft of intellectual property. He therefore set in motion a tariff spiral, which now affects a large proportion of all imports from China to the United States. Beijing reacted with counter-duties.
Kissinger warns of real war
Ex-US Secretary of State Kissinger warned in Beijing that he sees the threat of a real war as a result of the ongoing trade dispute. The trade talks are merely a „substitute“ for more substantive talks about conflicts between the two sides, including tensions over Hong Kong.
If both sides continue to see „every thing in the world from the perspective of a conflict,“ that could be „dangerous to humanity.“
