China rejects breaking US trade agreement

China rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations of breaching a recent trade agreement, labeling them as "groundless" and warning it will respond decisively to protect its economic interests.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has firmly rejected accusations made by U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing violated the consensus reached during last month’s trade talks in Geneva, calling the claims "groundless" and politically motivated.

The response follows Trump’s remarks on Friday, in which he alleged that China had failed to honor its commitment to roll back tariffs, part of a bilateral agreement reached to ease escalating trade tensions.

In a statement issued Monday, the Chinese ministry emphasized that Beijing has consistently implemented the Geneva agreement, while accusing Washington of heightening economic friction through a series of "discriminatory and restrictive" measures. These include tighter controls on AI chip exports, a ban on certain chip design software sales to China, and visa restrictions on Chinese students.

"The U.S. government has unilaterally and repeatedly initiated economic and trade conflicts, increasing uncertainty and instability in bilateral relations," the ministry said.

Under the Geneva deal reached in mid-May, both nations agreed to suspend triple-digit tariffs for a 90-day period. China also pledged to remove restrictions on critical metal exports vital to U.S. industries, including semiconductors and defense manufacturing.

However, Trump escalated tensions further on Friday by announcing a doubling of import duties on steel and aluminium to 50%. While China is the world’s largest steel producer, its exports to the U.S. have already been sharply reduced since the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff in 2018. China remains the third-largest aluminium supplier to the United States.

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