By Christopher Bodhine
Taiwan, Taiwan (AP) – China criticized the US on Monday, claiming it put China’s interests at risk, including issuing AI chip export control guidelines, halting the sale of chip design software to China, and planning to cancel Chinese student visas.
“These practices violate serious violations of the consensus,” the Commerce Department said in a statement, referring to a joint statement between China and the US that agreed to cut recent massive tariffs and resuming stagnant trade between the two largest economies of the world.
But last month’s escalation in President Donald Trump’s trade war did nothing to resolve the fundamental differences between Beijing and Washington.
The transaction lasts for 90 days, creating time for us and Chinese negotiators to reach a more substantial agreement. But the pause leaves behind higher tariffs than before Trump began to increase them last month. And companies and investors must contest uncertainty about whether the truce will continue.
US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the US agreed to drop the 145% tax imposed last month to 30%. China has agreed to reduce the tariff rate on US goods from 125% to 10%.
The Commerce Department said China supported the termination of the contract and canceled or suspended tariffs and non-tariff measures placed on the US “mutual tariffs” after the agreement.
“The United States unilaterally caused new economic and trade frictions, exacerbating the uncertainty and instability of the bilateral economy and trade relations,” China said it was based on its commitment.
He also threatened unspecified retaliation, saying that China will “continue to take decisive and powerful measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.”
Trump sparked even more controversy on Friday, declaring in a social media post that the country had broken an agreement with the US, saying he would no longer be kind in trade with China.
Hours later, Trump spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping in his oval office, saying, “Hopefully we’ll solve it,” but claimed that China had violated the agreement.
“The bad news is, perhaps not surprising to some, is that it completely violates the agreement we have with us,” Trump posted. “That’s all I’m going to be Mr. Nice Guy!”
In response to recent comments by Trump, the Commerce Department said of the United States: “Instead of looking back at its own right, they turned the table and accused China of violating the consensus, unfairly condemned.
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the Chinese would “roll the contract slowly” from Geneva.
Lutnick, who appeared on Fox News on Sunday, said the US is “taking certain actions to show how you feel on the other side of that equation,” adding that Trump “will solve that” with XI.
The Trump administration also announced last week that it would otherwise intensify conflicts with China and cancel visas for Chinese students studying in the US
The US campus hosts more than 275,000 students from China.
Both countries are taking part in a race to develop advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, and Washington is trying to curb access to China’s most advanced computer chips. China is also trying to drive the US away as a major force in the Asia-Pacific region, including controlling US partners and major tech giants Taiwan.
Original issue: June 2, 2025, 12:14pm EDT
