China and the United States did not negotiate on duties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a briefing on Thursday. He denied the statements of the American side, stressing that no consultations on tariffs had been held, and rumors about a possible agreement were not true. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said that the United States had received 18 trade proposals after the imposition of duties and was planning talks with 34 countries this week. She noted that discussions with China are continuing, assessing them as promising for a deal. Guo Jiakun called these statements false and recalled that the United States had started the trade war. He stated Beijing's unchanged position: if necessary, China is ready to fight to the end, but in case of negotiations, the country is open to dialogue. At the same time, he stressed that discussions are possible only on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
