China foreign minister says US tariffs show "extreme egoism"

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing stands on the side of international rules on U.S.-imposed tariffs and opposes protectionism, the Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a China-Central Asia foreign ministers meeting in Kazakhstan, Wang said Beijing would seek solidarity with other countries on the tariff situation and exposes "extreme egoism" and the bullying of certain countries, the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted in an interview published on Friday that tariff negotiations were under way with China, but Beijing denied any talks were taking place, the latest in a series of conflicting signals over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war threatening to sap global growth.

Wang, meeting with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, said China would seek solidarity with other countries and would uphold multilateralism to "inject stability into the world".