China denies ongoing US trade talks, urges truthfulness

China's foreign ministry has publicly denied that any talks or consultations with the United States are currently underway regarding tariffs, directly contradicting recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that trade negotiations are in progress. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that China is not familiar with reports about possible exemptions of tariffs on U.S. imports, adding to confusion over the status of trade discussions between the world's two largest economies. This exchange of conflicting statements has heightened uncertainty about when, or if, substantive talks on reducing tariffs—which have risen to 145% on Chinese goods entering the U.S. and 125% on U.S. goods entering China—will begin. Both nations have imposed multiple rounds of retaliatory tariffs since 2018, severely impacting businesses and fueling concerns about global economic growth. While the Trump administration has indicated willingness to lower tariffs pending talks, China maintains that all unilateral U.S. tariffs must be canceled for any progress. Amid these tensions, Chinese policymakers have stressed the need to support domestic businesses facing external economic shocks.