#TariffsPause

On Wednesday, for instance, Trump said officials in Washington and Beijing discussed trade issues “every day” and indicated he might reach deals with countries including China within two or three weeks.

Beijing on Thursday pushed back on the claim of ongoing negotiations. Responding to questions about potential trade talks with Washington, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun denied the claim, calling it “fake news”.

Also this week, China’s finance minister, Lan Foan, slammed the trade war during a Group of 20 ministers meeting in Washington and concluded his trip without an official bilateral dialogue.