“This is not healthy for the rest of the world,” he said in remarks to an annual dinner of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.
Perdue was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs on imports from China and many other countries in a bid to reindustrialize and boost factory jobs in the United States.
China responded with tariffs on imports from the U.S. An ensuing tit-for-tat spiral drove tariffs sky-high before the two sides agreed to a series of 90-day truces. In late October, both countries agreed to a one-year pause when Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea during a gathering of Asia-Pacific nations.
“They’ve been able to create the space we’ll need to work through a lot of tough, complicated issues,” Perdue said.
China had reaped the benefits of free trade with the rest of the world, while American companies have faced a series of barriers to the Chinese market over the years, the U.S. envoy said.
“America’s not looking for a trade war, but we are looking to get fair, free, reciprocal trade,” he said.
Perdue said that work is underway for a visit by Trump to China in 2026, and that Xi is expected to visit the U.S. this year too. Trump has said he will come to China in April, but neither government has confirmed a date.