AsianFin -- China has urged the United States to lift its sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, calling it a necessary step if President Donald Trump is serious about resolving the escalating trade war between the two nations.

A Chinese official said no trade talks had taken place with Washington, despite claims from the Trump administration suggesting otherwise.

The standoff between the world’s two largest economies continues to intensify, with China recently sending back Boeing planes it had ordered from the U.S. as part of its latest retaliation against American tariffs.

Still, Trump has hinted at a softer approach, saying the tariffs imposed so far on Chinese imports would "come down substantially, but it won't be zero."