Tensions are high between the US and China ahead of a planned trade talk, and the dueling superpowers can’t even agree on who initiated the meeting.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced this week that they’ll will be meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this weekend to discuss US-China trade relations as Trump’s heavy tariffs remain in effect and the trade war rages on.
But no one can agree who actually initiated the talks.
“The meeting between Chinese and US senior officials on economic matters was requested by the US side,” China’s spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, wrote on X on Wednesday. “Recently, the US has said repeatedly it wants to negotiate with China.”
Jian’s comments echoed those of a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce, who said in a press conference last week that the US had “recently taken the initiative to send messages to China multiple times through relevant parties” in hopes to start the conversation with China.
President Donald Trump has scoffed at the suggestion that the US had requested the meeting.
“They said we initiated? Well, I think they ought to go back and study their files, OK? I do think that,” Trump told reporters Wednesday when asked about the upcoming meeting.
Since Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods last month and China responded with its own 125% tariff on American goods, the countries have exchanged insults and blamed each other for the tariff.
“This tariff war was started by the US,” Jian wrote in his Wednesday X post. “China firmly opposes the US’s tariff hikes. Meanwhile, China is open to dialogue, but any dialogue must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit. To pressure or coerce China in whatever way simply does not work.”
On Wednesday, Trump flatly said “no” when asked if he would consider lowering his tariffs on China to help ease this weekend’s talks, though he also recently said that the 145% tariff on China is “very high” and will “come down substantially.”
Trump has previously railed against China for “ripping off” the US, while China has accused the US of “bullying” and said it risked becoming a “joke” on the world stage. Chinese social media has also exploded with memes mocking Trump and America.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Business Insider’s Katherine Li contributed a translation for this story.
