‘Misleading’ to link trade deal with slowing economy: China
BEIJING : China yesterday rebuffed a suggestion from US President Donald Trump that Beijing needs a trade deal with the US because its economy is slowing, saying this was "totally misleading" and that both countries wanted an agreement.
Mr Trump, in a Monday tweet, seized on slowing growth in China as evidence that US tariffs were having "a major effect" and warned that Washington could pile on more pressure.
Official data on Monday showed China's economic growth cooled to 6.2 per cent in the second quarter, the weakest annual pace in at least 27 years, amid trade pressure from the US.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China's first-half pace was a "not bad performance" considering global economic uncertainty and slowing world growth.
"As for US' so-called 'because China's economy is slowing so China urgently hopes to reach an agreement with the US side', this is totally misleading," he added.
Both China and the US wanted to reach a trade deal, he said.
Mr Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese tabloid Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, responded to Mr Trump's tweet, asking if it was "noble for a president to gloat".
He tweeted: "6.2 per cent is much higher than US growth. Wait until US growth hits 6.2 per cent then laugh at China." - REUTERS
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