China's premier says Chinese leaders don't wish to see a trade war with Washington and has expressed optimism relations will improve.
Li Keqiang, the country's No. 2 leader, said at a news conference Wednesday the two giant economies should "uphold strategic interests."
Li said, "We don't wish to see a trade war breaking out between the two countries. That wouldn't make our trade fairer."
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to raise import taxes on Chinese goods to counter what he says are unfair practices by Beijing. That has prompted warnings China might retaliate, disrupting one of the world's biggest trading relationships.
Li said, "China hopes that, no matter what bumps this relationship may run into, we hope this relationship will continue to forge in the right direction."
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.