WASHINGTON: China is “very spoiled” by trade wins over America, US President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing.
The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum toward a looming conflict between the world’s two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods.
“Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives,” Trump wrote in a tweet.
“We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins,” he added.
The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged “theft” of American intellectual property by China.
The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of $50 billion in targeted US goods.
“Both sides recognize there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress,” China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency.
“The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures.”
It added that they had reached “a consensus in some areas,” without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a “working mechanism” to continue talks.
Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months — including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.
But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington.
The demands included cutting China’s trade surplus with the US by at least $200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News.
The White House called the discussions “frank” while making no mention of continuing the negotiations.
“There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United States–China trade and investment relationship,” a White House statement said.
Trump says China ‘spoiled’ by trade wins over US
Trump says China ‘spoiled’ by trade wins over US
- The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant.
- Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months — including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms.
Related
Jordan’s exports to Syria jump 341% in first 10 months
RIYADH: Jordan’s national exports to Syria rose to 203 million Jordanian dinars ($286 million) in the first 10 months of 2025, marking a 341.3 percent year-on-year increase, new figures show.
According to foreign trade data issued by the Department of Statistics, Jordan’s imports from Syria reached around 75 million dinars over the same period, up 47.1 percent annually, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Total trade between the two countries stood at 278 million dinars in the first 10 months of the year, compared with 97 million dinars in the same period of 2024.
The growth reflects closer bilateral ties, as Jordan has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Syria’s recovery and reintegration, a relationship seen as important for reconstruction efforts as well as regional stability and economic cooperation.
In May, the two sides also agreed to draft a comprehensive road map to guide future cooperation, with a focus on investment, joint ventures and reconstruction initiatives.
“Trade relations between Jordan and Syria recorded notable growth over the last ten months of this year, driven by the resumption of commercial activity and a marked increase in bilateral trade flows,” the Petra report stated.
It added: “Jordanian exports to Syria are primarily concentrated in construction-related industries and building materials, including cement, steel, marble, tiles, paints, and pipes, in addition to electrical equipment, as well as food, agricultural, and chemical products.”
Jordan and Syria are also expected to strengthen cooperation and exchange expertise in the banking and financial sectors, following meetings between the two countries’ central bank governors earlier this month.
Jordan’s export growth to Syria comes amid a broader rise in trade with Arab markets, as Jordanian exports to countries in the Greater Arab Free Trade Area continued to climb during the first 10 months of the year, keeping Arab states at the forefront of the country’s trading partners.
According to foreign trade data from the Department of Statistics, Jordanian exports to the region rose 8.7 percent year on year to 3.24 billion dinars, compared with 2.98 billion dinars in the same period last year. Arab countries accounted for about 41.5 percent of Jordan’s total exports during the period.
Imports from countries within the Greater Arab Free Trade Area also increased, rising 8 percent to 4.58 billion dinars in the first 10 months of the year, up from 4.25 billion dinars a year earlier.
As a result, Jordan’s trade deficit with the region widened to about 1.34 billion dinars during the period, compared with 1.26 billion dinars in the corresponding period last year, reflecting stronger import growth alongside rising exports.
