BEIJING—A Chinese government spokesman denied that recently announced policy changes constitute concessions to the Trump administration in the countries’ trade fight.
A Commerce Ministry spokesman said Thursday that the new measures announced by President Xi Jinping “have nothing to do with the trade disputes with the U.S.” The spokesman, Gao Feng, told reporters that the Chinese government is opening the economy “at its own pace, in its own direction, which is already fixed.”
At a forum of political and business leaders on Tuesday, President Xi offered to further open China’s markets to foreign business, increase imports, accelerate access to China’s insurance and other financial sectors, raise protections for intellectual property, and lower tariffs and reduce ownership restrictions for foreign car makers.