China says it will not back down from trade war with U.S.
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“I hope some people in the U.S do not misjudge the situation,” Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters. “If the United States takes any action to escalate the situation, China will not hesitate to fight back.”
Gao was responding to questions about remarks made Tuesday by Chinese President Xi Jinping suggesting the country would open up its economy and decrease tariffs on some imported items like cars.
On Twitter, Trump said he was “very thankful” for Xi’s remarks, adding the two countries would “make great progress together!”
Gao said Xi’s statements, however, were about the ongoing commotion surrounding trade between the two countries, hinting that Trump had mischaracterized Xi’s attitude.
During a meeting Thursday with state governors and other lawmakers, Trump said Xi’s speech earlier in the week meant that China would soon remove some trade barriers, “maybe all of them”, he believed.
“We’re doing really well with China,” Trump told reporters. “I think we’re having some great discussions, and we’ll see what happens.” ■