FILE PHOTO - China's Vice Premier Liu He exits the office of the U.S. Trade Representative following a morning round of negotiations on the second day of last ditch trade talks in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said on Monday that China is willing to resolve its trade dispute with the United States through calm negotiations and resolutely opposes the escalation of the conflict, a state-backed newspaper reported.

Liu, China’s top trade negotiator, was speaking at a tech conference in Chongqing in southwest China, the Chongqing Morning Post reported.

The comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced an extra 5% duty on some $550 billion of Chinese goods, the latest tit-for-tat move announced hours after China unveiled its retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. products.