China warns US it will scrap agreements if tariffs are imposed

China warned the United States on Sunday that it will scrap any agreements reached on trade between the two countries if Washington imposes new tariffs. 

US President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese exports.  

A delegation led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross met negotiators in Beijing at the weekend. 

Later the Chinese government said the talks had delivered concrete progress. 

But it warned that China would abandon its commitment to buy more American goods if the sanctions went ahead. 

So far, the US is standing firm. 

Void Agreements

China's Xinhua news agency reported that trade talks between China and the US ended with a warning from Beijing if the US implements trade sanctions including tariffs, then all the economic and trade achievements between the two countries will be void.

Xinhua did not mention any specific new agreements but instead cited a consensus reached in Washington last month, when China agreed significantly to increase its purchases of the US goods and services.

An editorial on the website of the state-run Global Times newspaper said "Tariffs and expanding exports, the United States can't have both".

Following the Washington meeting it looked like a truce between the two economic heavyweights was on the cards but last week the White House warned it would pursue tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports, as well as impose restrictions on Chinese investments in the US

And that meant Ross arrived in Beijing on Saturday under a cloud and amid anger from key the US allies who have been hit with duties on steel and aluminum.

But at the talks Ross said exchanges between the two sides had been friendly and frank.