Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. President Donald Trump raised U.S. tariffs on China to a combined 145 percent, prompting the Chinese to retaliate with a 125 percent levy on American imports.

The way President Donald Trump sees it, beating China in a trade war should be easy. After all, the Chinese sell Americans three times as much stuff as Americans sell them.

Trump proposed to lower tariffs on Chinese imports to 80% from 145% on eve of negotiations with the country's third-largest trading partner.