Trump China tariffs – China on Trump reciprocal tariffs

China said that it was ready to “fight till the end” if the United States was hell-bent on waging a trade war as President Donald Trump vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs against the Asian giant. In a scathing post on X, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the US was using fentanyl as a “flimsy excuse” to raise tariffs on Chinese imports.

“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we are ready to fight till the end,” the Chinese Embassy in the US tweeted.

‘BULLYING DOESN’T WORK ON US’

Trump has accused China of failing to stop the export of chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, which has become the main drug responsible for opioid overdose deaths in the US.

China said the fentanyl crisis in the US was of its own doing. “Instead of recognising our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They have been punishing us for helping them,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

In a stern waring to the Trump administration, China said intimidation and bullying tactics won’t impact it. China said the way forward in solving the fentanyl issue was by treating the country as “equals”.

“Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating,” the Foreign Ministry further said.

CHINA-US TARIFF WAR

China’s tough talk comes as Trump, in his first address to Congress after assuming office, announced that reciprocal tariffs on countries like China and India would kick in on April 2. The US has already doubled the tariff on all Chinese imports to 20% from 10% and the latest announcement has raised fears of an all-out trade war.

China responded swiftly to the US move, announcing tit-for-tat tariffs, ranging from 10%-15%, on a range of American agricultural and food products like wheat, corn, and cotton. Additionally, China’s Ministry of Commerce has placed 25 American companies under export and investment restrictions on security grounds.

Tune In