According to U.S. media reports, U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform on Thursday that China ¡°deliberately did not buy U.S. soybeans, making it difficult for U.S. soybeans¡± and that this constituted ¡°economic hostility.¡±

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in response to relevant inquiries at a regular press conference on the 15th that China's position on dealing with Sino-US economic and trade issues is consistent and clear. There is no winner in tariff wars and trade wars, which are not in the interests of either party. Both sides should resolve relevant issues through consultation on the basis of equality, respect and reciprocity.

Bloomberg and Reuters believe that Trump's so-called "cooking oil" should be waste cooking oil, and the United States imported this product for the purpose of using it to make biofuels. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that in 2024, China's exports of waste edible oil to the United States set a record of 1.27 million tons, accounting for 43% of China's total exports of waste edible oil, with a value of US$1.1 billion. However, exports of this product to the United States have dropped sharply this year. In the first eight months, exports have dropped by 65% to only about 290,000 tons.

At the time of Trump¡¯s remarks, U.S. farmers were suffering from soybean delays, and the U.S. government had said it would ease pressure on soybean farmers through a package of aid programs, but the plan was hindered by government shutdowns.

U.S. media mentioned that the import of waste edible oil sparked discussions in the United States last year. Some analysts believe that it hinders the expansion of soybean crushing in the United States and replaces soybean oil as the main force in the U.S. biofuel field.

Lu Xiang, an expert on American issues, said in an interview with a reporter from the Global Times on the 15th that biofuels are not the development focus of the current U.S. government, and their costs are high. As a whole, they are still experimental industries. Regardless of the increase or decrease in imports, they will have a negative impact on trade between the two countries. The actual impact on relations is small. Lu Xiang added that relevant data show that China's exports of waste edible oil to the United States have dropped significantly this year compared with the same period. Against this background, it is almost meaningless to still talk about this matter. (Ding Yazhi)