China dismisses reports of ongoing tariff talks with U.S.

China has firmly denied that it is currently engaged in any discussions with the United States over tariffs, dismissing recent comments from President Donald Trump as baseless.

The response comes after Trump said on Tuesday that relations with China were “going fine” and hinted that the steep 145% tariff on Chinese goods could be significantly reduced. However, Chinese officials contradicted that statement on Thursday.

“From what I know, there are no ongoing consultations or negotiations between China and the U.S. regarding tariffs, let alone any agreement,” said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, during a regular press briefing.

Echoing that stance, He Yadong of China’s Commerce Ministry added, “We have always maintained our openness to dialogue, but any engagement must be rooted in mutual respect and equality.”

He went on to describe reports of progress in China-U.S. trade talks as “as baseless as trying to catch the wind,” stressing that such claims have “no factual foundation.”

While President Trump suggested earlier this week that trade talks with China were "active," his own Treasury Secretary had acknowledged there were no formal negotiations currently underway.