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.

China called for all "unilateral" U.S. tariffs to be cancelled on Thursday, as signs emerged that the Trump administration may de-escalate its trade war with Beijing. China also clarified it has not held trade talks with Washington despite repeated comments from the U.

China’s comments come after President Trump said Tuesday that the final tariff rate on China’s exports would come down “substantially” from the current 145 percent.