China accuses US of 'severely' violating May Geneva tariff truce

“We urge the US to work with China to immediately correct relevant wrong practices,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

“If the US insists on its own way and continues to damage China's interests, China will continue to take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” it said.

The ministry also pointed to US restrictions on artificial intelligence chip exports and visa bans for Chinese students as evidence of escalating ‘discriminatory restrictive measures’, according to global newswires.

The truce last month led Washington to reduce tariffs imposed on goods from China from 145 per cent to 30 per cent, while Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs lowered from 125 per cent to 10 per cent. The truce deal lasts for 90 days.

However, Trump accused Beijing late last week of violating the truce, without specifying how.

“So much for being Mr. NICE GUY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

US trade representative Jamieson Greer later said China had not been removing non-tariff barriers, as per the agreement. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a TV network  that China was ‘slow-rolling’ the agreement. Beijing, however, dismissed these accusations.

“Instead of reflecting on itself, it [the US] has turned the tables and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry statement said yesterday.

The United States is scheduled to double its current tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25 per cent to 50 per cent beginning tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the White House said President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week.

“I can confirm that the two leaders will likely talk this week,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Despite Trump’s earlier claims that a conversation had taken place, Beijing has denied any recent communication.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)