'China wants to meet': Donald Trump's big claim amid tariff war

Trump said that he had a call with the Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. He also informed that he met a Japanese trade delegation as tariff talks continue.

Updated on: Apr 18, 2025, 04:48:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that every nation, including China, wants to meet with him to discuss a trade deal amid his tariff measures.

President Donald Trump has claimed that every nation wants a trade deal with him. (AP)

Trump said that he had a productive call with the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Wednesday. He also informed that he met a Japanese trade delegation as tariff talks continue.

“Had a very productive call with the President of Mexico yesterday. Likewise, I met with the highest-level Japanese Trade Representatives. It was a very productive meeting. Every Nation, including China, wants to meet! Today, Italy!,” the US President wrote on Truth Social.

The Republican will continue the string of meetings on Thursday, with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni visiting Washington DC. She is often seen as an ideological ally of the Trump administration and it would be interesting to see how the negotiations between the two leaders unfold in Washington.

China has indeed expressed willingness for talks on tariffs but it wants the US to first show respect towards it. According to a Bloomberg report, the world’s second-largest economy has laid down its conditions for any future talks between Beijing and Washington.

China says it won’t pay attention

The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday said that if the United States continues to play the "tariff numbers game", it will pay no attention to it, reported Reuters. Beijing made the comment in response to the White House's statement that China faces tariffs of up to 245 percent due to its retaliatory action.

The Trump administration has announced a sweeping new tariff of up to 245% on Chinese imports, sharply escalating the trade conflict between the United States and China. The decision was detailed in the White House's fact sheet released late Tuesday.

The White House, in the fact sheet, also accused Beijing of banning exports to the US of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications.

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