Trade tension: China responds to Trump on soybeans and calls for dialogue

The Chinese government issued a warning to the United States this Wednesday, asserting that "trade and tariff wars benefit no one" and that a trade conflict "has no winners." The statement came in response to recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, who called China's decision not to purchase U.S. soybeans an "economically hostile act." The U.S. president considered ending imports of cooking oil and animal fats, inputs that the U.S. imports in large volumes from China and are crucial for the production of biofuels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported record export figures for these Chinese inputs to the U.S. market in 2024. Today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated that "China's stance on economic and trade issues between China and the United States is consistent and clear," in response to Trump's threat to end business with the Asian country related to cooking oil and other products. The Chinese official concluded his brief statement urging ...