China says it’s evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the U.S.

China said it is evaluating U.S. overtures to initiate trade negotiations, potentially paving the way for the world’s two largest economies to start talks to resolve a trade war that has rumbled financial markets and cast a pall on global economic activity.

Senior U.S. officials have reached out recently “through relevant parties multiple times,” hoping to start negotiations with China on tariffs, a spokesperson for the commerce ministry said in a statement Friday.

While assessing the possibility of starting any negotiations, Chinese authorities reiterated Beijing’s request for the U.S. to remove all unilateral tariffs. Failure to do so would indicate “an outright lack of sincerity” from Washington and “further compromise mutual trust,” according to a CNBC translation.

“If the U.S. wants to talk, it should show its sincerity and be prepared to correct its wrong practices and cancel the unilateral tariffs,” according to the statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs of 145% on imported Chinese goods this year, prompting China to impose retaliatory levies of 125%. So far, both sides have sought to blunt the economic impact of tariffs by granting exemptions on certain critical products.

Chinese offshore yuan strengthened 0.14% to 7.2665 against the U.S. dollar following the statement. While China’s onshore markets are closed for a holiday, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.2% on open.

The latest comments from Beijing follow a flurry of conflicting statements from the Trump administration and Chinese leadership on whether talks were underway, with both sides wanting to avoid being seen as the first to back down.

Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News’ Hannity Program that the “Chinese want to meet and talk,” according to Reuters, while indicating that such talks will come up soon.

Trump’s tariff poses “a major challenge” to Israel’s economy, they say. Israeli authorities contacted the US “in order to guarantee Israel’s exemption and/or reduce the taxes imposed”. In 2024, the United States had a trade deficit with Israel of some $7 billion, according to data from the US Department of Commerce.

OTOH, China is Israel’s 2nd largest trading partner,
with total trade value reaching a whopping $24.45 billion.

Speaking before a gathering from both countries, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu in March 2017 encouraged China “to assume its rightful place… on the world stage. We are your perfect junior partner for that effort,” Netanyahu added. “…I believe this is a marriage made in heaven.”

BACKSTORY-—Trump and Biden restricted sensitive technological exports to China. As a result, China turned to cooperative Israel. China’s direct investment in Israel’s IT industry, especially in chips and semiconductors, now has increased.

In 2017, Israeli PM Netanyahu said China accounts for one-third of the investment in Israeli high technology, which includes US military technology the US shares w/ Israel, its strongest ally. In the ’90s, Israel sold military equipment and technologies to China, including its Harpy missile system.

This incident chilled relations between the United States and Israel, with Israel being suspended from its status as Security Cooperative Participant in the Joint Strike Fighter program. However, on 6 November 2005, Israel stated that it has been re-admitted into the program.

The US had to pressure Israel to stop sharing US military technology w/ China. Yet Israel still doesn’t restrict China from acquiring dual-usage technologies that could have military implications against the US.

A succession of US administrations warned Israel about its growing tie with China, sharing concern about China using Israel as a backdoor to access sensitive technologies from the US.

The most vocal objection to Sino-Israeli ties came from the Trump administration. When former Secy of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in 2019, he warned Israelis that the CCP “engages in spying through its commercial state-owned enterprises and presents risk through its technology systems. Pompeo said China’s actions posed a risk.

Unfortunately, Israel largely brushed aside the warnings. Like many other countries, China’s massive market has enticed Israel. Plus, the Israeli government hopes China’s good relationships with Arab nations may help Israel.

Netanyahu was working on a Sino-Israeli free trade agreement and planned to visit China. But China’s siding w/ Hamas after the October 2024 attack alerted Israel’s leaders to the reality that Communist China’s relationship with Israel is purely transactional.

(This is especially for you, anti-semite stalkers. Enjoy.)

This is up to Trump. Does he want to hurt China or does he want to destroy China. We know what choice Xi would make. China is hurting right now, in a few month the Xi regime may be overthrown (not that the new guys would be any better).

If China collapses it will because they built a corrupt unsustainable business model, all President Trump has done was remove one of the support braces allowing the collapse to happen sort of like that one building that collapsed in the recent Bangkok earthquake.

My vote, let China collapse like the old Soviet Union and see if the people can “build back better” as American communist like to say.

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