China says it can't guarantee no more trade tension with US

China's government said today it cannot guarantee that renewed trade tension with Washington can be avoided after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declared a temporary truce in a spiralling dispute that prompted worries of a chilling of global commerce.

Mnuchin said yesterday the two sides were "putting the trade war on hold" following an announcement Beijing would "significantly increase" purchases of American farm goods, energy and other products and services. But the two sides gave no indication of how much progress they had made toward ending the dispute over U.S. complaints about market access and technology policy.

Mnuchin's comments showed both sides hope to avoid a "trade war," said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang. However, he added, "Given the increasing interaction between the two countries, we cannot assure you they will not encounter more frictions or disputes in the future."
"If the two governments can reach an agreement which is acceptable to both sides, the two governments should certainly abide by it," Lu said at a regular briefing. "We believe this result will be welcomed by the peoples and business communities in the two countries, and the international community."