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China's State Media Warns Against Expecting a Lot in Trade Talks

China's State Media Warns Against Expecting a Lot in Trade Talks

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese state media warned the nation shouldn’t expect a quick resolution of its trade dispute with the U.S., as there have been no signs that President Donald Trump has changed his thinking.

While it is good to talk, China should be aware that there may not be a deal anytime soon, according to an editorial published Thursday evening in Global Times, a tabloid run by the official People’s Daily. The newspaper said Washington is still taking a tough attitude.

The U.S. will only engage in serious discussions if it believes additional tariffs won’t bring more benefits, or if public opinion in the U.S. harms Trump’s approval rating, according to the article.

Trump tweeting that he isn’t under pressure to make a deal with China has stoked concern that the U.S. president isn’t serious about a possible new round of trade talks between the two nations. China’s commerce ministry said Wednesday it welcomed a U.S. offer of talks and that both sides were working on the details.

The U.S. proposal to talk could be "deceptive," warned the China Daily, the nation’s flagship English newspaper.

China is serious about the trade talks, and would like to believe Trump is equally serious, according to an editorial published Thursday evening.

"But the Trump administration should not be mistaken that China will surrender to the U.S. demands. It has enough fuel to drive its economy even if a trade war is prolonged," the newspaper said.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Yinan Zhao in Beijing at yzhao300@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net, Brett Miller

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Editorial Board