Beijing: China has firmly rejected accusations by U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing breached a trade agreement reached during the recent Geneva talks, calling the claims “groundless” and pledging to take strong countermeasures to protect its national interests.
In a statement released Monday, China’s Ministry of Commerce pushed back against Trump’s remarks made on Friday, in which he accused Beijing of violating a bilateral agreement to roll back tariffs.
According to the ministry, China has been upholding its commitments under the Geneva consensus, while it is the United States that has repeatedly escalated tensions. The ministry accused Washington of introducing multiple “discriminatory restrictive” policies targeting Chinese industries.
These U.S. actions include new guidance on export controls for artificial intelligence chips, restrictions on the sale of chip design software to Chinese firms, and the revocation of student visas for Chinese nationals.
“The U.S. government has unilaterally and repeatedly provoked new economic and trade frictions, exacerbating uncertainty and instability in bilateral economic and trade relations,” the ministry stated.
While the statement did not specify what retaliatory actions Beijing might take, officials indicated that forceful responses are being considered to defend China’s commercial and strategic interests.
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The Geneva agreement, reached in mid-May, included a 90-day pause on triple-digit tariffs imposed by both sides. As part of the deal, China had also agreed to lift countermeasures that previously restricted the export of key metals essential for U.S. semiconductor, electronics, and defense manufacturing.
However, President Trump reignited trade tensions on Friday by announcing a steep hike in import tariffs on steel and aluminum, doubling them to 50%. The move came amid heightened scrutiny of Beijing’s trade practices and its role in global supply chains.
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Although China remains the world’s largest steel producer and exporter, its shipments to the U.S. have plummeted following the 25% tariff imposed in 2018. Chinese steel has largely been pushed out of the U.S. market since then. Meanwhile, China ranks as the third-largest supplier of aluminum to the United States.
The rising friction marks another chapter in the complex and often turbulent trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies, with both sides seemingly prepared to take further steps to protect their national interests.
