The Trump administration has been saying that the two countries are engaged in talks to resolve the dispute, but Beijing asserts that no such discussions are happening.

President Donald Trump misjudged Beijing by calculating that it would cave into economic pressure, leaving the US unprepared to handle the current tariff standoff, according to an adviser to China’s Foreign Ministry.

Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have been making vaguely conciliatory comments about the administration’s approach to China. The former said this week that his tariffs will eventually “come down substantially” and that he won’t play hardball with Beijing.