China urges U.S. to honor words to facilitate agricultural cooperation

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged the U.S. side to honor their words and seriously implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders in Osaka to create conditions for bilateral agricultural cooperation.

Soybeans are loaded onto a truck before delivery to a grain elevator on June 13, 2018 in Dwight, Illinois, US. [File photo: Getty Images via VCG/Scott Olson]

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked to comment on the Ministry of Commerce's announcement that related Chinese enterprises have suspended their purchase of U.S. farm products.

The U.S. side announced plans to impose additional 10-percent tariffs on 300 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese imports, which seriously violated the consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state in Osaka, Japan, Hua said.

In response, China has decided, for the moment, not to rule out levying import tariffs on American farm imports purchased after Aug. 3, and related Chinese enterprises have halted their purchase, according to Hua.

"China has a large market capacity and the prospect of importing high-quality U.S. agricultural products is bright," she said. "However, the U.S. side should seriously implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, honor the words and keep promises to create necessary conditions for bilateral agricultural cooperation."