China has always advocated resolving economic and trade issues with the United States through dialogue and consultations and has always been sincere in such consultations, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a routine press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

"If the United States were to impose new tariffs, it would undoubtedly create obstacles to bilateral trade consultations and make the road to an agreement more lengthy," spokesperson Geng Shuang told a routine press conference.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that there was a long way to go with China on trade and threatened to impose tariffs on another 325 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese goods.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," Geng quoted a Chinese proverb, adding one only needs to take the first step and move forward consistently before he would reach his destination.

He called on the United States to show determination and perseverance, and work with China to achieve a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement through joint efforts on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment.