May 11 (UPI) — Chinese Vice Premier Liu He called for the United States to remove all tariffs its goods during a trade negotiation in Washington on Friday.
This news came as the presidents of the world’s two largest economies ended negotiations Friday without a trade deal in place. The stalled negotiation followed a move by President Donald Trump to increase tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.
Trump showed confidence in his decision to levy tariffs by tweeting, “Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch!”
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch! In the meantime, China should not renegotiate deals with the U.S. at the last minute. This is not the Obama Administration, or the Administration of Sleepy Joe, who let China get away with “murder!”
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also said the Trump administration will announce a plan on Monday to put tariffs on another $300 billion in Chinese imports. That would essentially put duties on all goods from China.
Trump believes tariffs would provide financial aid to the U.S. farming industry and other aspects of the economy harmed by the trade war between the two countries.
Liu dismissed claims that trade talks had broken down, saying, “Negotiations have not broken down.”
He added, “It’s normal to have hiccups during the negotiations. It’s inevitable.”
