Chinese exporters hail tariff cuts with U.S.

Chinese exporters have welcomed easing trade tensions between China and the United States, and are reconnecting with U.S. traders while remaining vigilant for potential shifts.

Following a two-day China-U.S. high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, the world's two largest economies announced in a joint statement on Monday a series of measures reducing additional tariffs imposed by both sides, which took effect on Wednesday.

Jiang Jiangping, vice president of the Yiwu China Commodity City Crafts Association, said shop owners at the world's largest small commodities market are pleased to see the new development though they hadn't really been affected by the tariffs that much.

"We are all very happy. I was chatting with the shop owner next door the other night, and they said American clients were scrambling to book flights. We are happy but it doesn't really affect us much, because our orders were already quite full. American clients usually come to place orders in early to mid-May, and then we finish production in July. So, it might be a little rushed this year, but we can still deliver on time," Jiang said.

"Starting yesterday, we have been getting notices from freight companies saying that with tariffs being significantly reduced, their shipping prices have also dropped. Now, more than 20 containers of our goods can be exported again," said Lin Wanyi, an exporter from Quanzhou City in east China's Fujian Province.

Li Erqiao, general manager of Soton Daily Necessities, said the new measures provide an important opportunity for Chinese exporters to restore ties with U.S. partners and to be better prepared for possible trade tensions in the future.

"The signals in the past couple of days have been very positive. Everyone is moving to get in touch with American clients again. A lot of cooperation had been suspended before. Now, the opportunity has come. We must make the best of this window, when both sides are showing signs of easing, to prevent our clients from slipping away," Li said.

"However, in the long run, we are still thinking about how to diversify our supply chain so that we're not passive in situations like this. We must prepare for the future. I believe we are clear-headed about this. We won't relax just because the American clients are coming. We'll stick to our original plans and continue with our follow-up strategies. I think this gives us a more relaxed timeline to make more comprehensive preparations," he added.

Chinese exporters hail tariff cuts with U.S.

Thai and Cambodian leaders must find a way to resolve their differences through talks and not on the battlefield, according to a former Thai foreign minister, who also believes China could be in a unique position to serve as a mediator given its strong ties with both sides.

Border clashes between the two sides have reignited since Dec 7 -- less than two months after the two sides signed a joint peace declaration -- with both trading the blame for instigating the attacks.

The latest round of fighting has left at least 19 Thai soldiers and 19 Thai civilians dead, with over 270,000 people displaced, Thailand's defense ministry announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said that 17 civilians have been killed and 77 injured as the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, with over 438,000 individuals fleeing their homes.

With the two sides continuing to point the finger of blame and trade accusations of attacks on civilians, peace talks appear to be a long way off.

Kasit Piromya, who formerly served as Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the two countries' leaders to put people first, set aside their pride and find a resolution.

"The people must be the priority, not the victory or losses or the battlefield. It's detrimental and destructive to all. It is easy to arouse the passion, but [the sign of] great leaders, great statesmen is to be able to overcome the nationalistic sentiment and come back to the sense and sensibility and to start to talk with one another," he said.

China has called for utmost restraint and every possible measure conducive to a ceasefire to ensure de-escalation of tensions as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told a daily press briefing on Monday.

China supports direct dialogue and consultation between the two countries, as well as the efforts of ASEAN -- and Malaysia, in particular -- to promote peace talks, and the pursuit of a mutually acceptable solution within the ASEAN framework, according to the spokesman.

Piromya said he believes China could play a constructive role in a peace process between the two sides.

"China has been having, I think, more or less an excellent bilateral relationship respectively with Thailand and Cambodia. So China is in a very unique and great position to bring the two sides, Cambodia and Thailand, together," Piromya said.

Former official urges Thailand, Cambodia to make people priority, end border clashes