Key Facts

• A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said Beijing is thinking about talking to the United States about tariffs.
• The US and China are having problems around trade because both countries have placed high tariffs on each other's goods. Tariffs are extra charges or taxes on imported goods.
• Lots of people across the world have been waiting for these talks to happen because the trade problems could cause a worldwide recession. A recession is when the economy of a country (or the world) slows down for a long period.
• The US has already said it's willing to negotiate with China about the tariffs.
• Negotiations have not started yet because neither the US nor China want to make the first move and seem weak.
• There are two main ways to resolve this situation: either a third party intervenes to help the two countries come to an agreement, or one side reaches out first but both sides agree not to see this as a sign of weakness.