He warned that if China takes "retaliatory action" against US farmers or industries, tariffs will be pursued on "approximately $267 billion of additional imports". In commenting on a US report that China might be considering skipping trade talks if the US initiated another round of tariffs, Geng said the escalating trade dispute serves the interests of neither side. "There will be no winners if a trade war continues, and that is especially true for working people. Xie Fuzhan, president of the CAAS, also said the trade war, provoked by the US, was "irrational". "The Sino-US trade war is not a benign competition, and it does not serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples," Xie said.