The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, shared a new statement from President Donald Trump regarding trade relations with China, which was conveyed to her in the Oval Office.

According to Leavitt’s statement, Trump said:

“The ball is in China’s court. China must negotiate with us. We don’t need to negotiate with them. There is no difference between China and other countries, except that they are much bigger. But it is clear what China wants from us: the American consumer. In fact, every country wants this. In other words, they need our money.” Leavitt emphasized that the President’s position on China is clear, and that Trump highlighted the advantageous position of the United States in trade wars with this statement.

Tensions between the US and China continue due to the ongoing trade war triggered by Trump’s imposition of customs duties. While reciprocal tariffs are being applied between the two countries and some products have been granted temporary exemptions, both sides are working on new sanctions.