Trump Trade Talks: China Finally Mulls Opening Door For Negotiations, Japan Races To Close Deal By June

China has finally expressed willingness to negotiate with the U.S. after confirming Washington’s overtures, while Japan has doubled down on efforts to strike a trade deal as early as June.

A Chinese Commerce Department spokesperson said the U.S. has recently sent messages to China through proper channels regarding the commencement of bilateral trade talks. The spokesperson’s statement came in reply to a reporter’s question.

“China is currently evaluating this,” the spokesperson said.

“China’s position is consistent. If we fight, we will fight to the end; if we talk, the door is open,” he added.

China laid the onus of resolution on its trading partner. The official noted that if the U.S. wants to talk, it has to show sincerity and be prepared to correct its wrong practices and cancel the unilateral tariffs.

While noting that the U.S. has been leaking information about adjusting tariff measures, the spokesperson said, “It means that the United States has no sincerity at all and will further damage the mutual trust between the two sides.

“Saying one thing and doing another, or even trying to coerce and blackmail under the guise of talks, will not work with China.”

U.S. stock futures gained ground as investors assessed a possible easing in tariff tensions, and safe-haven currencies retreated.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. had China “put to the side” and was working to strike pacts with 17 of its 18 major trading partners, according to The Hill.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who took over the additional role as interim national security advisor on Thursday, told Fox News that China was looking for “short-term accommodation” with the U.S.

“The Chinese are reaching out,” he said. “They want to meet, they want to talk.”

In a separate development, Japan’s chief negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said Japan aims to reach a trade deal with the U.S. in June, and bilateral negotiations are likely to gain speed in mid-May.

His comments came after the second meeting with U.S. delegation led by Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Following the meeting, Akazawa told reporters, “We were able to have concrete discussions on topics such as expanding our bilateral trade, non-tariff measures, and cooperation on economic security.”

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) exchange-traded fund (ETF) and the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) ended Thursday’s session up 0.71% and 1.31%, respectively, 

The iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI) and the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) slipped 0.14% and  0.36%, respectively.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Read Next: Apple Warns Of $900M Tariff Hit Despite Q2 Beat: Stock Dips But Retail Holds Bullish Ground