The Trump administration moved quickly to shut down the possibility of caving if stocks tank during a trade war with little end in sight

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Chinese officials are betting that President Donald Trump’s attention towards the stock market serves to their advantage in a trade stand-off with the U.S. By their calculus, the U.S. can’t afford a prolonged trade war that keeps intensifying with little end in sight, a prospect they believe would tank financial markets and push Trump to make concessions.

However, the Trump administration moved quickly on Wednesday to shut down the possibility of negotiating with its back against the wall.