BEIJING (AP) — China's government says it cannot guarantee renewed trade tension with Washington can be avoided after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a spiraling dispute was "on hold."

A foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said Monday that Mnuchin's comments showed both sides hope to avoid a "trade war." However, he added, "Given the increasing interaction between the two countries, we cannot assure you they will not encounter more frictions or disputes in the future."

Mnuchin said Sunday the two sides were "putting the trade war on hold" following an announcement that Beijing would buy more American goods. But the two sides gave no indication how much progress they had made toward ending their dispute.