US President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking contact with Beijing to initiate talks on the massive tariffs Washington has imposed on China, according to a state-run media outlet.

China’s factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in 16 months in April, as steep US tariffs took a heavy toll on the manufacturing sector, adding urgency to Beijing’s efforts to roll out fresh economic stimulus.

Monthly surveys of Chinese factory managers shows export orders slowed in April as higher tariffs on U.S. imports began to kick in.