Conflicting US, China statements on tariff talks add to confusion

Trump claims negotiations are taking place, but his assertions are swiftly denied by Beijing

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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump asserted in an interview published on April 25 that tariff negotiations were under way with China, but Beijing denied any talks were taking place, the latest in a series of conflicting signals over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war threatening to sap global growth.

Mr Trump told Time magazine that talks were taking place and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him, an assertion he repeated to reporters as he was leaving the White House on the morning of April 25 for Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

"China and the US are NOT having any consultation or negotiation on #tariffs," China shot back in a Foreign Ministry statement posted by the Chinese Embassy in the US.

"The US should stop creating confusion."

Mr Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One later on April 25, said it would be a win if China would open up its markets for US products, and that tariffs could make that happen.

"Free up China. You know, let us go in and work China," he said. "That would be great. That would be a big win, but I'm not even sure I'm going to ask for it because they don't want it open."

The back-and-forth added to the substantial uncertainty surrounding the state of play over Mr Trump's erratic tariff policy, not just around China, but also as it pertains to the dozens of countries scrambling to strike their own deals to ease the burden of the hefty import taxes he has unleashed since returning to the White House in January.

His team of negotiators was conducting what amounted to a lightning round of trade talks with foreign officials who had swarmed Washington this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group.