China wants US tariffs rolled back in phase one trade deal

Global Times, published by the official People's Daily newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, also cited Sunday another unidentified source close to the talks as saying U.S. officials had been resisting such a demand because the tariffs were their only weapon in the trade war and giving up that weapon meant "surrender."

BEIJING: Beijing's top priority in any phase one trade deal with the United States is the removal of existing tariffs on Chinese goods, China's Global Times newspaper reported, amid uncertainty on whether the two sides can end a 17-month trade war that has depressed global growth.

"Sources with direct knowledge of the trade talks told the Global Times on Saturday that the U.S. must remove existing tariffs, not planned tariffs, as part of the deal," according to the report.