China's President Xi Jinping continues to seek agreement in the trade dispute with the US. His country wants to work on an equal footing and in mutual respect on a "Phase 1" agreement. Xi said in Beijing participants said at an event on a similar issue.
If necessary, China will "fight back" in the dispute, even if it actively advocates that there is no trade war. His country had "not started this trade war" and did not want it either.
China and the US - the world's two largest economies - have been in a fierce trade dispute for more than a year, affecting the global economy as well. US President Donald Trump is bothered, among other things, by China's high trade deficit with China.
He also accuses Beijing of unfair trading practices, currency manipulation, restrictions on foreign companies, and theft of intellectual property. Therefore, he has imposed special duties on Chinese goods, to which China reacted with similar measures.
Ex-Foreign Minister Kissinger sees danger of a real war
For months, both sides have been pledging to seek an agreement. Initially, not all contentious issues should be clarified at once. Rather, there should first be a "Phase 1 Agreement".
According to US data, these include, among other things, the issues of intellectual property, currency issues and financial services. The signing of such a pact is currently under discussion in the coming weeks.
Ex-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned on Thursday in Beijing that he sees the threat of a real war as a result of the ongoing trade dispute. The trade talks are merely a "substitute" for more substantive talks about conflicts between the two sides, including tensions over Hong Kong. If both sides continue to see "every thing in the world from the perspective of a conflict," that could be "dangerous to humanity."
