Less than a week ago Trump said the next round of talks in Washington might be canceled. The US is having very good talks with China, Trump said, but warned that the US will have the ultimate form of retaliation against any Chinese countermeasures.

In a radio interview the same day, Trump said China wants to make a deal, but it's got to be a deal on the US’s terms. 

The Chinese finance ministry said in a statement that Washington's tariffs violate a consensus reached between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a June summit in Japan to resolve their dispute via negotiation. In a separate statement, China's foreign ministry said it hopes leaders of the US and China will soon meet to find a mutually acceptable solution through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.