Trump Shuts Out China on Economy Talks

Chinese efforts to engage the U.S. on ending tariffs appear stalled, with officials reportedly struggling to reach higher-level counterparts.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and Chinese Foreign Ministry with written requests for comment.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump last week doubled blanket tariffs on Chinese imports to 20 percent and imposed 25 percent duties on a range of Canadian and Mexican goods, citing their failure to curb the flow of fentanyl-related chemicals into the U.S. The move marks a major escalation in Trump’s trade policy, linking tariffs to the fight against the deadly opioid crisis.

China, a key supplier of fentanyl precursors, says it is actively cracking down on illicit drug flows and points to multiple high-level meetings with the U.S. since 2024. Beijing has accused Washington of weaponizing trade and denies responsibility for American demand for the drug.

What To Know

The latest round of working-level talks between U.S. and Chinese officials reportedly caught negotiators off guard, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Chinese side believes the White House has not clearly outlined the steps required to lift the tariffs, while U.S. officials argue that these demands have already been conveyed through diplomatic channels, including via Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng.

Chinese officials say Washington’s messaging has been inconsistent, making it unclear what specific actions are necessary to satisfy U.S. conditions. United States officials, however, insist that Beijing has already been informed, pointing to multiple diplomatic exchanges.

Among Washington’s demands is halting all precursor shipments to Mexico, where much of the U.S.-bound fentanyl is produced. More targeted conditions include imposing the death penalty on fentanyl smugglers and running a front-page article condemning the fentanyl trade in the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called for “dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect,” when asked Wednesday whether the Trump administration is communicating sufficiently on trade and other economic matters.

She said that “China-U. S. trade ties are based on two-way and reciprocal interactions” and pledged Beijing would respond to “arbitrary pressure” with countermeasures.

The remarks followed Mao’s pointed rebuke the previous day, when she accused Washington of using fentanyl as pretext for the tariff hike.

A tariff is a tax on foreign goods borne by importers and typically passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

What People Are Saying

Donald Trump, U.S. president, said ahead of a February 26 Cabinet meeting: “We’re going to have a good relationship with China, but they won’t be able to take advantage of us. What they did to Biden was—he didn’t know what was happening. He didn’t know what he was doing. The administration didn’t know what they were doing. It was very sad to watch.”

Da Wei, director, Center for International Security and Strategy at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, told Bloomberg: “Without addressing the consumption side, even if China stops exporting precursors, other countries will fill the gap. In fact, fentanyl precursors are not only sourced from China, Mexico, and Canada but also from several other countries.”

Kishore Mahbubani, former Singapore ambassador to the United Nations, told CNBC: “If Trump can get China to open up its market, accept more American exports and possibly even invest more in United States, then it’s possible to have a win-win trade deal. The Chinese clearly want to have a deal also with the United States. They don’t want this contest to carry on.”

What Happens Next?

As for leader-to-leader communication, a source familiar with White House discussions told Bloomberg there are currently no plans to set up a meeting between Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The two last spoke in January, before Trump’s inauguration.