The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has urged China to pursue a “negotiated solution” after Beijing accused the US president of “blackmail” over tariffs, according to The Telegraph.
During a phone call with China’s Premier, Li Qiang, on Tuesday, von der Leyen “called for a negotiated resolution to the current situation, emphasizing the need to avoid further escalation.”
She “stressed the responsibility of Europe and China, as two of the world’s largest markets, to support a strong reformed trading system, free, fair, and founded on a level playing field.”
Both leaders discussed setting up a mechanism to track possible trade diversion caused by the tariffs, Ms. von der Leyen’s office said.
The call follows increasing tensions over trade between the US and China. Trump has threatened to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese goods, while China has retaliated with a 34 percent tariff on US imports.
In response, China has vowed not to yield to these threats.
A spokesman for China’s commerce ministry said, “The US side’s threat to escalate tariffs against China is a mistake on top of a mistake, once again exposing the American side’s blackmailing nature.
“If the US insists on going its own way, China will fight to the end,” The Telegraph reported.
