US-China: Who has the better prospects of withstanding a prolonged trade dispute? | DW News

China is continuing to seek adequate responses as it remains the target of massive US trade tariffs despite US President Donald Trump's turnaround decision on Wednesday to pause the hefty levies he had just imposed on dozens of other countries. Trump has raised the tariff on Chinese imports to the US to 125%, up from the 104% levy that went into force on Wednesday. Beijing, in its turn, may well once more up the 84% tariffs it applied to US imports on Wednesday in retaliation to Trump's initial move. It has vowed to "fight to the end" in the trade war that is rapidly escalating between the world's two top economies. China says it has held talks with the European Union and Malaysia on enhancing trade ties in response to the friction with the US. It also said it had filed a protest with the World Trade Organization (WTO), complaining of "bullying" tactics by the Trump administration.

Trump, who says he raised the tariffs on Chinese imports in response to China's "lack of respect" for global markets, has insisted that a trade agreement will be reached with Beijing. "A deal's going to be made with China," Trump said, while adding that China's leaders "don't quite know how to go about it." China is the second biggest provider of imports to the US after Mexico.

China has called on the United States on Thursday to meet it "halfway" as a trade war between the world's two top economies gains momentum, but promised to "fight to the end" if no compromise can be reached. "The door to dialogue is open, but it must be based on mutual respect and conducted in an equal manner," Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian told a regular press briefing. The use of pressure, threats and blackmail was not the right way to deal with China, He said. She warned that US tariffs on international trading partners would "severely impact the stability of the global economic order." China would continue to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, she said. China's Foreign Ministry also warned that the US tariffs were harmful to the whole world. The tariffs "seriously damage the rules-based multilateral trading system, and seriously impact the stability of the global economic order," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. "This is a blatant act that goes against the will of the world and goes against the whole world," he added.

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