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China accused the US of violating their recent trade deal and vowed to take measures to defend its interests, dimming the prospect of an immediate leadership call that Donald Trump wants to have to further bilateral talks.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a statement on Monday rebuking the US president’s claim that Beijing breached the consensus reached in Geneva last month. The dust-up threatened to upend trade relations even as Trump expressed hope Friday he will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett expecting a call to take place this week.
Beijing accused the US of unilaterally introducing new discriminatory restrictions, including new guidelines on AI chip export controls, curbs on chip design software sales to China and the revocation of Chinese student visas.
“If the US insists on its own way and continues to damage China’s interests, China will continue to take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the ministry said. It also said the US violated the consensus reached between Trump and Xi on Jan. 17, when they last spoke, without elaborating.
Asian shares dropped along with US stock-index futures, with a gauge of Chinese stocks traded in Hong Kong falling as much as 2.9%, the most in nearly two months.
Tensions between the world’s largest economies are ratcheting up again after the tariff thaw in May. The Trump administration last week said it planned to start revoking visas for Chinese students while moving to restrict the sale of chip design software to China. They have also barred the export of critical US jet engine parts and technology to China, the New York Times reported.
Beyond strains in economic ties, geopolitical friction is also growing. China’s Foreign Ministry over the weekend protested US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s assertion at a gathering of military chiefs that China poses an imminent threat to Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.
Trump didn’t elaborate when he accused Beijing of violating the tariff truce on Friday, but US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer complained that China had not sped exports of critical minerals needed for cutting-edge electronics.